SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine – Former mayor of Spanish Town Dr Raymoth Notice has threatened to resign from the St Catherine Parish Council (SCPC) if the local government ministry fails to probe an allegation that a councillor used $1 million of taxpayers’ money to purchase land without the council’s consent.

Notice, who was forced to resign as mayor two years ago following a domestic matter which reached the courts, refused to identify the accused councillor. He, however, told last Thursday’s monthly general meeting of the council in Spanish Town that he had a copy of the land title in his possession.

“There are cries of corruption in the council that a certain councillor used the $1-million allocation that was given to that particular councillor to rehabilitate roads in the division to buy a piece of land, and register that land in the name of the citizens’ association in the community. Mr chairman, I have a copy of the title in my possession,” Notice told the council.

Notice, who represents the Bog Walk division, demanded that the situation be immediately probed by the Ministry of Local Government.

He said that if $1 million was allocated to fix “a certain road over 18 months, then work must be there to be seen to prove that the work was done”.

But according to Notice, there was no proof that the repair work had been carried out.

“In fact, based on reports from persons associated with road rehabilitation, no road repairs were done in the division,” Notice said, eliciting applause from PNP and JLP councillors. His address was interspersed with shouts of “Yes, dem waan discipline”, “Chat, for we no have no friend ya”, “Some a dem love liki liki and corruption”, “Dat a gwaan long time” and “Some fraid fe let the pus out a de bag”.

Notice said he would “like to know if the citizens’ association bought the land from their fundraising efforts” or through the council fund. “If this is not so, then Mr chairman, this is serious and the minister of local government must be informed, and an audit carried out and investigations made and the councillor be made to account for the money,” he said.

Notice reminded the council that before funds allocated for roads can be used for any other project, they must be approved by the council and pointed out that he knew of no permission given by the council for the money to be used to purchase land from this particular councillor’s allocation.

After a lengthy debate, it was decided that the secretary/manager would investigate the allegation.

Notice later told the Observer that the council was grossly mismanaged, and accused some councillors of “siphoning off” large sums of taxpayers’ money and pocketing the proceeds.

He charged that money allocated for roads was being used otherwise. In fact, he said there are allegations circulating of councillors using money, allocated to them for road repairs, for their own use.

Declaring that corruption was widespread in the council, Notice called for a forensic audit of the administration’s road rehabilitation work.