FIVE months after being sent on administrative leave by the Linden Town Council, Town Clerk, Jonellor Bowen returned to work on Wednesday.The decision was made by the Ministry of Communities to have Bowen reinstated, after the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), which was established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ‘no confidence’ motion against the Town Clerk in July by the Council, submitted its findings.

The CoI recommended Bowen’s reinstatement since the motion cannot be endorsed as a result of procedural irregularities. The findings of the CoI, which was chaired by Former Regional Chairman, Mortimor Mingo, pointed out that proper and legal procedure was not utilised in moving the motion against Bowen.

“The motion was never given to the Town Clerk in writing and within the statutory period of 96 hours, as stipulated by the law,” the CoI found.

However, it further revealed that out of the ten issues raised by the Council, which resulted in them having ‘no confidence’ in Bowen, several of these showed that the current temperament and attitude of Bowen in carrying out her functions as Chief Administrator and Advisor of the Council is not working in a positive way for the Council.

The CoI expressed concern on the way Bowen dealt with an EU grant, which resulted in the loss to the Council of over $115M, the manner in which Bowen handled the gratuity, pensions and NIS remittances for the Council’s employees, the accuracy and presentation of minutes for the statutory meeting and the alleged leaking of the Council’s confidential information to the public.

“It does appear that the Town Clerk’s current attitude and deportment towards the Mayor and Councillors does not auger well for progress of the Council and if this is allowed to continue there is no doubt that the work of the Council will be further stymied.”

The CoI then recommended that the Town Clerk be transferred to another post within the Ministry, where she can use her many skills and better apply her qualification.

Permanent Secretary, McGarrel, also advised the Council to move another no confidence motion against Bowen if there is a continued lack of confidence in her performance; but they should do so in future, following the proper procedures.

When asked to comment on the findings of the CoI, Bowen said, “It was what I was saying all the time, that the ‘no confidence’ motion was un-procedural, however it was pursued… The report has found that… the ‘no confidence’ motion was illegal, ultra vires and un-procedural. Hence, me being sent on administrative leave was wrong. The report clearly would have indicated and the Committee would have found that there were procedural irregularities, it was ultra vires.”

She added that while she experienced emotional and psychological agony awaiting the findings, she was eager to return to work. She also posited that she has no issue with Mayor of Linden, Carywn Holland and is willing to work along with Holland and the Council for the greater good of the town.

Mayor Holland on Tuesday told the media that the Town Clerk would have been found guilty in the majority of the issues put forward by the council and the only infraction of the Council is the way in which the motion was moved.

“We must acknowledge that it is the wrong way in which the motion was moved, but not for the wrong reasons, though they were procedural missteps in the execution of the motion against the Town Clerk, there were sufficient grounds justifying the motion as corroborated by the commission,” Holland said.

He added that it is time for the Council to move forward for the progression of Linden and there should not be any further stymieing of the town’s business.