THE case against Former Town Clerk Royston King challenging the Local Government Commission (LGC) on his ‘wrongful dismissal’, comes up before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court on Thursday, September 5, 2019, for decision.
In January 2019, King was served with a dismissal letter by the LGC after “he did not respond verbally, or in writing, to the charges laid against him,” having appeared before the body on Wednesday, January 23, 2019.

He was dismissed by the LGC, following recommendations made by officials, who conducted an Inquiry into operations of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC).
King had been charged with gross misconduct, abuse of office, recklessness, dishonesty, conspiracy, and misappropriation of funds at the municipality.

However, in February 2019, King moved to the High Court to challenge his dismissal.
In his application, King is asking for the LGC to reinstate him to his previous post immediately and/ or to pay him all his superannuation benefits, inclusive of pension, gratuity, payment in lieu of annual leave, up until he attains the age of retirement, on January 29, 2020.

He is also claiming for cost and aggregative damages for his benefits while on administrative leave and compensation for public embarrassment and humiliation.
The former Town Clerk is calling for interest calculated at 4% per annum from the date of filing of the application, until the judgment and at 6% per annum from the date of judgment up until full payment, excluding court cost, is made.

King is being represented by Attorneys-at-law Maxwell Edwards and Patrice Henry.
The grounds of the application state that the ‘indecent’ haste by the LGC in summarily dismissing King without a hearing and on the recommendations of the COI whose terms of reference did not relate to the recommendations, and the inadmissible hearsay evidence being accepted and admitted, render the dismissal irrelevant.

“I have never acted unlawfully, illegally or criminally during my tenure as a serving member of the Municipality of Georgetown, irrespective of my appointments to attract the attention of the Police or any disciplinary authority,” King said in his court document.
During his employment as Town Clerk, King was paid $408,560 monthly, inclusive of house and entertainment allowance.