– “Ghost staff” paid hundreds of thousands
Allegations of corrupt practices are being levelled against operatives within the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). Guyana Times was recently told of several financial irregularities that are occurring under the watch of Regional Executive Officer (REO) Rupert Hopkinson regarding the hiring of staff paid via a “ghost” payroll and supposed preferential treatment in the awarding of several of the region’s contracts.
Upon receiving word of these reports, this newspaper conducted further investigations where it was disclosed that over the last few months, the REO has reportedly undertaken 13 new staff members who have been employed without letters of assumption. Guyana Times understands that these added workers were not paid through the normal payroll but that Hopkinson officially requested that they receive remuneration via an “Events Fund” which was recently exhausted.
As such, the Region Two REO has reportedly made several requests that the finances to pay his staff be transferred from other departments to the “Events Fund” financial heading.
This publication was able to obtain a September 26, 2016, document which bore the purported signature of the REO which showed that he reportedly requested that Chief Accountant of the Regional Accounting Unit “prepare contracts” for five of the 13 staff members for work done in July and August. The letter requested that the staff who have been working for the past four months, be paid under an “appropriate Sub-head”, with a further encouragement for the process to be expedited.
“Your quick action will be appreciated,” was included near the end of the letter that Hopkinson purportedly signed.
According to the letter, Joan Jeffery was paid $240,000 for “consultancy services” on financial budgetary matters to the REO while Morris Walcott was paid the same figure to assist the REO in the “management and supervision of regional activities throughout Region Two”.
Meanwhile, Clarence Hoppie and Errol Greene were granted $200,000 each for providing consultancy services to the Public Works Programme and assisting in monitoring trenches and kokers throughout Region Two respectively. Also on the list was Carlton Semple who received $160,000 for his assistance in monitoring and supervising drainage and irrigation trenches in the region for works done over a two-month period.
Meantime, a source associated with Hopkinson’s office revealed that there has been much “sole sourcing” in the awarding of contracts with the Principal of the Essequibo Technical Institute Michael Turner being awarded the majority.
