–due process taking its course, says official

REGIONAL Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine, Carl Parker, is reportedly still “actively” on the job, Regional Chairman of Region Nine, Bryan Allicock , has said. Parker was charged with sexual assault and placed before the court on Friday, when it was alleged that during the month of June 2016 at Yupukari, Central Rupununi, he sexually assaulted a 19-year-old elected official of Region Nine. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on $200,000 bail. He will return to court on February 16 before the Chief Magistrate,Ann Mclennan. Subsequent to this, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, during a press briefing on Friday, confirmed that Parker has been suspended — not fired — pending the outcome of a court matter in which he was charged with sexual assault.
“Our law says that a person is innocent until proven guilty, so an allegation had been made, a charge has been laid against the REO and as a preliminary step to allow for investigation of an offence to take place, the Minister of Communities indicated that the REO will not be performing his duties,” Harmon stated.
However, Allicock explained that no document has been sent to his office stating that the REO was suspended or sent off the job. “Nothing has been done and he [Parker] is still at work…but we still need a substantive REO, because we need someone to sign our plans and payments and so forth,” the chairman said. But, Minister Harmon had given the assurance that the assistant REO and other senior officials will have to step up and perform the duties which were being executed by Parker until the court matter ends.