Dear Editor,
At the very first Regional Democratic Council (RDC) statutory meeting in January this year, the entire RDC boardroom listened in shock to a narrative that an old decrepit bulldozer parked precariously outside the RDC Compound actually belonged to the region and was newly purchased for a whopping $15 million.
The Regional Executive Officer (REO) wasted no time in claiming that she is not aware of the bulldozer since from all records, it did not belong to the RDC since no money was paid. She further claimed that she had only heard about its ‘arrival’ at the said meeting when the issue was raised. The REO was adamant that the bulldozer was not the property of the RDC. She further asserted that once the bulldozer is found to be defective, she will send it packing. Upon inspection it was found not only to be defective, but it was not the bulldozer specified in the tender advertisement. This junk bulldozer arrived nearly five months after the contract was awarded to KP Project Management Company.
It was later revealed that 53 per cent or $8 million of the purchase was paid in advance before the bulldozer was supplied and the remaining sum of $6.8 million was paid in December 2017 before its arrival. The REO is the accounting officer so it is alarming that she was not aware of these payments at the statutory meeting in January. Did she not lie to the RDC? Later on, the REO said the supplier has agreed to repair the bulldozer even though it was not the bulldozer specified in the tender. She had said also that the contractor gave a one-year warranty on the ‘junk’. Fortunately, or unfortunately, this repair did not materialise as well. Another blatant lie? From all indications, it became pellucid that she feigned ignorance of the bulldozer at the very first RDC statutory meeting! It was also clear that the contractor is heavily favoured in someone’s eyes at the RDC. It is difficult to return bribes and kickbacks once given!
Furthermore, this deal was rotten since the advertisement stage of the tender. It was advertised in one newspaper only, which is a breach of the Procurement Act.
This Act stipulates that this should be done in newspapers of wide circulation. The auditors concluded that this was the reason for the receiving of only one bid. Moreover, the auditors found several fundamental breaches which I have outlined in my letters to the press. In addition, they found that there was no security bond on the contract, the bulldozer was not according to specification, the chassis plate was tampered with, there were numerous defects and the contract did not provide for the $8 million advance payment to the contractor. When I had said that there was no bond, the REO threatened to sanction me at the RDC meeting!
Ultimately a bond was secured but there was no new contract to support it as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) also discovered. When I raised the issue of this bond at the statutory meeting on June 7, 2018, the REO then told the RDC that they will acquire the services of a lawyer to levy on the performance bond from Caricom General Insurance Company on June 11. It is now clear from the report in the media that she tried to levy on the bond the same day I raised the issue at the RDC. But this also now seems to be just a ruse and an attempt to deceive. Unfortunately, from what the PAC has concluded the lies of the REO will cost the region $14.8 million! The region has no claim against KP Project Management Company!
What is more damning is the fact that the REO tried to implicate the previous REO, Dr Verasammy Ramayya in this bulldozer scam. I spoke to Dr Ramayya and he told me that he resigned since September 2016. The bulldozer contract was signed in September 2017, one year after. Lies and more lies!
From the inception, this bulldozer issue was shrouded in lies, secrecy and attempts to deceive the RDC. I am calling on the RDC to move a motion to sanction this REO and the Communities Minister to remove her from office. She should do the honourable thing and resign forthwith.
Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf
RDC Councillor,
Region Six
