GEORGETOWN Mayor Ubraj Narine on Monday officially informed the City Council of the Local Government Commission’s (LGC) correspondence to him of the summary dismissal of former Town Clerk Royston King.

Contacted by the Guyana Chronicle, King said that he is still studying the matter and as such, has no comments to offer. The mayor requested that Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry read the letter that was sent by the LGC Chairman Mortimer Mingo. The letter, in part, said King did not deny the allegations of gross misconduct.

The letter further said that the commission found King guilty after “careful examination” of a number of complaints that were made against him.

This newspaper understands that the City Council, through its Human Resources Management Committee, will have to make a decision on the way forward. That committee reportedly deals with employment and all issues of recruitment.
The committee will have to make a recommendation to the Council, which will in turn be forwarded to the LGC.

King was served with the dismissal letter last January 24 after “he did not respond verbally or in writing to the charges laid against him,” having appeared before the LGC.
When King appeared before the commission earlier in January, he had asked for an extension so his lawyer could be available to appear with him. However, when he subsequently appeared, he was without legal representation.

“Mr. King appeared before the commission in keeping with the letter where we asked him to appear to give him an opportunity to answer to the charges that were laid against him coming out of the CoI. He did not answer to the charges either verbally or in writing. The commission took a unanimous decision of the commissioners who were present to have his services terminated with immediate effect from Wednesday last. The letter has been served on him and I think yesterday [Thursday, January 24, 2019] he received the letter,” Mingo affirmed.

King was among a number of City Hall officials who were recommended to have disciplinary action taken against them, in a report emanating from the inquiry into the operations of City Hall that was conducted during the period September 24, 2018 and November 2, 2018.

The report was submitted on November 30. King had been on administrative leave since September 21, to facilitate the investigations of the CoI. The CoI was presided over by Chairman and sole commissioner Justice (ret’d) Cecil Kennard.

Other officers recommended for disciplinary action include acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe; Internal Auditor Omodele Umojo-Newton; City Engineer Colvern Venture; HR Manager Paulette Braithwaite; Assistant City Engineer Rashid Kelman, and Sherry Jerrick.
Apart from the disciplinary action, there was also the recommendation for a forensic audit to be conducted by the Audit Office, and for criminal charges to be considered against officers.