Regional engineer makes damning victimisation claims against REOs

…says he is “off the job” after exposing malpractice, misappropriation

Engineer and Head of Department of Public Works for Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Latchman Singh, who had been contracted to the Regional Democratic Council since September 2013 but was rotated to Region Two (Pomeroon- Supenaam) in 2017, has been unable to resume duties for about 10 months now.
This is as a result of the Public Service Commission (PSC) saying that they had not received a resumption of duties form after he returned to work from vacation. However, the engineer says this is totally incorrect, since upon his return to work on September 1, 2018, he signed his resumption form and returned same to Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Eight, Gavin Gounga.
According to Singh, he then proceeded on authorised medical leave from September 19, after he fell ill.
“I went on approved medical sick leave after I had taken ill but to date I have been informed that my letter of assumption has not been sent to the Public Service Commission by neither the Region Eight RDC nor the Ministry of Communities, which will allow for my Government Order to be issued to take effect for payment and formal acknowledgment on the job (I have not been on the job since the end of my medical in November 2018),” Singh explained to this newspaper.
The engineer said he has since made several visits to the PSC, which seemed to be dragging their feet on the matter.
“Visits to the Public Service Commission remains futile, with the Secretary once saying they have not received my letter of assumption from the Region nor the Ministry of Communities. Another check with the Secretary of the Public Service Commission as of the 16th July 2019, she said whenever the Commission makes a decision I will be notified,” he said.

Malpractice and
misappropriation
This, Singh described as a grave injustice and discrimination against him, while noting that he has a family to support. He believes that he is being victimised because he had disclosed malpractice and misappropriation of Government funds by the REO of Region Two at a Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting last year.
“At a PAC meeting in early 2018, after the REO, Rupert Hopkinson denied (the allegations), I was furthered question by the Chairman of the PAC if malpractices and misappropriation of Government funds is still being done in Region Two, where I told the truth that the practice is still being carried out by the REO. Subsequent to this, in March 2018, I was transferred from the Public Works programme to the Agriculture programme of Region Two, which is a lesser demanding programme with all responsibilities as Programme Head restricted as well,” he related.
Furthermore, Singh disclosed that he was rotated to the Region Two RDC by the Communities Ministry in May 2017, to complete the remainder of his contract but during that period, he was still being paid by the Region Eight RDC until the end of the contractual period.
The engineer explained that on May 18, 2017 via Memorandum from the Secretary of the Public Service Commission (PSC), he was notified that at the end of his contractual period that he will assume duties and work on the pensionable establishment in Region Eight.
He went onto to note that in April 2018, he applied to the Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO) in Region Two for his annual vacation leave, which was approved and in May 2018, he was furthered granted approval by the Permanent Secretary of Department of Public Service within the Ministry of the Presidency to leave the country and travel to Brazil.
However, Singh said that on August 11, 2018, upon his return to his living quarters to retrieve his belongings and prepare to resume duties, he found that the locks on his living quarters were broken into and changed; and same was also done to his office.
“I also found out that my salary for the months of July and August along with my benefits-for which I have signed approval certificates were being withheld,” he related.
In light of these, Singh sought legal advice and had his lawyer, Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall, issue letters to the Minister of Communities and its Permanent Secretary as well as Regional Executive Officer. As a result of this, he was able to successfully complete that contract but still was not paid at the time.
Singh has also sought the intervention of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) a few months ago but is still to receive any updates. This newspaper was unable to get Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkhan along with Hopkinson and Gounga for a comment on the matter.

Regional Engineer, Latchman Singh
Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) Regional Democratic Council