ACTING Town Clerk, Carol Sooba has broken her silence on the recent accusations made by PPP Councillor, Kamla Devi-Ross, explaining that Devi-Ross had wanted her to intervene as Town Clerk in a private matter, but she had rejected such a request.

According to Sooba, Devi-Ross requested her to intervene in a matter regarding her tenants but the acting Town Clerk refused. She further said that Devi-Ross, after an altercation with the tenants, sought to cut the electricity supply but was prevented by GPL and subsequently asked the Town Clerk to use her position to request that the power be cut by someone at GPL. Sooba related that she refused since she was not going to use her post as Town Clerk of the City for personal matters.
Then there was a second issue involving a vendor who sells food around the vicinity of Ross’ house. Councillor Devi-Ross, Sooba said, asked her to search the woman because she believed the woman was selling drugs. Sooba said it wasn’t within her mandate to search the woman and so she could not have assisted Devi-Ross in this matter.
Devi-Ross continued seeking favours by requesting Sooba to install a street lamp in front of her house since she had seen people taking photos of the building. The Town Clerk refused since it is not a decision of hers to decide where street lamps should be installed. Subsequently, Devi-Ross’ son who had been employed at the Deeds Registry allegedly had some difficulties with his employment and Ross once again asked Sooba to intervene in the matter.
“Even though some councillors would be in support of the work I am doing, they would recognise that not because it is a PPP councillor or a PNC councillor or a GGG councillor, if you come to the Town Clerk and she can humanely do something within the legal framework, I will do so. I cannot break any law or marginalise any set of people because they are PPP councillors or PNC councillors or GGG councillors. I can’t do that, I have to be a fair person,” Sooba stressed.
These negative responses which Devi-Ross was subjected to, Sooba noted, came as a result of her disapproval of many issues built on lies and inaccuracy.
Devi-Ross at last week’s statutory meeting advised the Council that she was going to remain neutral but proceeded to lambaste Sooba for some issues which she highlighted.
According to Devi-Ross, Sooba had used the Council’s vehicle which has been designated for her post and had been parking the vehicle at her residence. She said also that the bodyguard assigned to Sooba should not be there because the Council is in need of constables. She said too that the Town Clerk should not be using the Council’s monies to purchase furniture for her office when there are other pressing issues at the Council.
The acting Town Clerk refuted these allegations however, stressing that the vehicle assigned to her through the Council was only parked at her house on one occasion in April due to security purposes. She explained that the vehicle, for quite sometime now, has been at the mechanic and she has been using a private vehicle of a kind-hearted individual.
Sooba said further that the security appointed to her through the Council is also her driver and so she cannot understand why Ross would say she has excessive constabulary officers at her disposal. The chair for her office, she noted, was budgeted for by the Council and in that light her spending cannot be deemed as illegal. “If the things she said were truthful, I would have backed down, I would not have bothered to defend myself,” Sooba said.
The Town Clerk maintained that she will not bend her standards to suit any member of the Council because of the party they are representing. In that regard, she considers herself as being at “the mercies of Kamla Devi-Ross,” adding that it is only left for her to be ‘nailed to a cross and crucified’. “It that’s what will happen then so be it,” she concluded.
Written By Ravin Singh