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Garbage collection agency calls in Fraud SquadBY KIMONE THOMPSON Observer staff reporter thompsonk@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, December 15, 2007
THE National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) yesterday called in the Police Fraud Squad after allegedly uncovering multiple fraudulent claims made by contractors for work done in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean in late August.
The agency said, too, that until those investigations are complete, it will halt payments to the said group of contractors.
Executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Joan Gordon-Weblley, addresses a press conference at the agency's head office in Kingston yesterday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
At a press briefing at the agency's Half-Way-Tree Road head office in Kingston yesterday, the NSWMA's executive director, Joan Gordon-Webley, said the irregularities were uncovered during an audit of the organisation, which was ordered recently by the minister of state with responsibility for local government, Robert Montague.
"During a review of the list of the contractors... it was noticed that some of the licence plates listed were not for commercial vehicles although, the equipment indicated on the list were commercial," Gordon-Webley told reporters.
Some of the licence plates, she said, belonged to luxury sport utility vehicles, one of which was a 2007 Toyota Land Cruiser which was imported on a duty concession. There were also examples of plate numbers which were assigned to public passenger vehicles, other private vehicles, vehicles owned by a private sector company and some which were not assigned to any vehicle at all.
"In light of the above findings, the payment to contractors for Hurricane Dean clean-up work is suspended, effective immediately, while further checks are carried out," Gordon-Webley said.
The bill for the clean-up, according to the NSWMA boss, totalled $244.9 million, $197.9 of which has already been paid out. But the remaining $47 million will remain in the government's coffers until the waste management body reconciles the irregularities and ensure that it is not "giving the people's money to persons who are less than honest", said Gordon-Webley.
"We started to do some payouts just this Monday and at that time I had approved up to 75 per cent of what was owed, but I have put a halt on all future payouts," she reiterated.
The more than 200 contractors across the island should have been paid months ago, but the process was being held up primarily by the audit into the agency's operations.
Additionally, more than 50 persons at different levels within the organisation have been dismissed because of implications in fraudulent activities or because of the duplication of jobs.
Just this week, two workers from the head office and some 36 others from the Park Division - which has responsibility for the implementation of the National Beautification Project - were sent home, and late last month roughly 23 more were dismissed.
But Gordon-Webley said there were no concerns about the agency becoming understaffed.
"We had people on the payroll who were not working so we wouldn't be losing anything," she said. "The place is just top heavy... We had too many layers of people and were duplicating some positions so I took out some of them," she said.
Concerning contractors, Gordon-Webley also signalled the authority's intention to adopt a zero-tolerance approach with those who use their trucks for purposes other than to transport garbage. She said the police recently seized a contractor-operated NSWMA truck which was found with stolen goods. The vehicle has since been recovered and the contractor dismissed.
i like this woman already... anybody who can come in and clean up corruption will get my support... start send some people to jail... may the chips fall where they may...
Garbage collection agency calls in Fraud SquadBY KIMONE THOMPSON Observer staff reporter thompsonk@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, December 15, 2007
THE National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) yesterday called in the Police Fraud Squad after allegedly uncovering multiple fraudulent claims made by contractors for work done in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean in late August.
The agency said, too, that until those investigations are complete, it will halt payments to the said group of contractors.
Executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Joan Gordon-Weblley, addresses a press conference at the agency's head office in Kingston yesterday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings) At a press briefing at the agency's Half-Way-Tree Road head office in Kingston yesterday, the NSWMA's executive director, Joan Gordon-Webley, said the irregularities were uncovered during an audit of the organisation, which was ordered recently by the minister of state with responsibility for local government, Robert Montague.
"During a review of the list of the contractors... it was noticed that some of the licence plates listed were not for commercial vehicles although, the equipment indicated on the list were commercial," Gordon-Webley told reporters.
Some of the licence plates, she said, belonged to luxury sport utility vehicles, one of which was a 2007 Toyota Land Cruiser which was imported on a duty concession. There were also examples of plate numbers which were assigned to public passenger vehicles, other private vehicles, vehicles owned by a private sector company and some which were not assigned to any vehicle at all.
"In light of the above findings, the payment to contractors for Hurricane Dean clean-up work is suspended, effective immediately, while further checks are carried out," Gordon-Webley said.
The bill for the clean-up, according to the NSWMA boss, totalled $244.9 million, $197.9 of which has already been paid out. But the remaining $47 million will remain in the government's coffers until the waste management body reconciles the irregularities and ensure that it is not "giving the people's money to persons who are less than honest", said Gordon-Webley.
"We started to do some payouts just this Monday and at that time I had approved up to 75 per cent of what was owed, but I have put a halt on all future payouts," she reiterated.
The more than 200 contractors across the island should have been paid months ago, but the process was being held up primarily by the audit into the agency's operations.
Additionally, more than 50 persons at different levels within the organisation have been dismissed because of implications in fraudulent activities or because of the duplication of jobs.
Just this week, two workers from the head office and some 36 others from the Park Division - which has responsibility for the implementation of the National Beautification Project - were sent home, and late last month roughly 23 more were dismissed.
But Gordon-Webley said there were no concerns about the agency becoming understaffed.
"We had people on the payroll who were not working so we wouldn't be losing anything," she said. "The place is just top heavy... We had too many layers of people and were duplicating some positions so I took out some of them," she said.
Concerning contractors, Gordon-Webley also signalled the authority's intention to adopt a zero-tolerance approach with those who use their trucks for purposes other than to transport garbage. She said the police recently seized a contractor-operated NSWMA truck which was found with stolen goods. The vehicle has since been recovered and the contractor dismissed.
i like this woman already... anybody who can come in and clean up corruption will get my support... start send some people to jail... may the chips fall where they may...