FIVE auditors from the office of the Auditor General are currently scrutinizing the financial records of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), Mayor Patricia Chase-Green announced on Monday.

“The government’s auditors are in the house,” she said, during her announcements at the fortnightly statutory meeting at City Hall. Following the announcement, the Mayor joked that she expected to hear noise and cheering from People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Councillor Bishram Kuppen, in view of his repeated calls for such an audit.

But Kuppen humorously responded that he was waiting until the completion of the audit. No time period has been stipulated for the audit, and upon its completion, a report will be submitted to the council. Earlier this year, Chase-Green took umbrage at Kuppen’s taking to the press to express his concerns that his calls for a forensic audit into the City Council finances have been disregarded.

Kuppen had written to the press voicing his dissatisfaction with several things at the municipality, including the fact that three motions calling for the audit were denied by both Chase-Green and Town Clerk Royston King.

At a subsequent meeting, though, Chase-Green said: “Since 2012, I’ve said it that we are open to an audit whenever and by whoever. I want it to be clearly said that I have no-objections to any audit. Since 2011 I have been calling for an audit for the City Council. When the PPP was in Government, they did not take heed and now in 2016, you’re hearing all the cries for an audit. I still don’t have any objections.”

Meanwhile, in his letter, Kuppen said his reason for calling for the audit was the numerous accusations of corruption and mismanagement levelled against the Council and the fact that hundreds of millions of dollars were being collected and yet the City was always reporting financial difficulties, while core services were not being provided.

Kuppen had also referred to the $8M donation from the Chinese Government which was given to assist the cleanup campaign in Georgetown and which was assumed to be going to the City Council.

“When the Chinese Ambassador inquired how the money was spent, Town Clerk Royston King said that the money was not received at Council and that he would launch an investigation. We later learned in the press that the money was received by the Global Friendship Foundation which was headed by former Mayor Hamilton Green and another former Council employee.”

Kuppen said he wrote to King to get information on the results of his investigation but got no response.

The mayor said she took all necessary action with the matter and did all that she could possibly do.

“I brought the man, had the man sitting on the bench for more than 12 hours and then we realised that the money was not paid to the M&CC. The money was paid to a private place. The money was not paid to us by the Chinese Ambassador. It was paid to a private organisation with the intention that that money be spent for us. But there’s nothing I can do; I did all that I can. We called in the national police.”

Chase-Green had lamented that it is unfortunate that councillors, who are expected to work as a team, are still divided and take to the press to address their concerns.