LUCEA, Hanover — Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has expressed satisfaction with the steps being taken by the Hanover Parish Council in implementing the recommendations of the recent audit undertaken at the local authority.

“We are satisfied that the Hanover Parish Council has taken and is still taking the necessary steps to comply with all aspects of the audit, and it would be remiss of me not to say publicly that I believe that they have done a good job in living up to the findings and to meet some of the obligations that were asked for from the audit. I must say they are making the necessary steps,” McKenzie said.

“When we came out publicly, everybody was bashing them. Now, at least we can say that they are moving in the right direction.”

The audit was ordered by McKenzie in May, following allegations of corruption at the council arising from a probe carried out by the Office of the Contractor General (OCG).

The OCG in his probe found, among other things, issues of nepotism and conflict of interest in the awarding of contracts by the council.

McKenzie, who was speaking at a town hall meeting at the Rusea’s High School in Lucea, last Thursday, told the gathering that following the audit, meetings were held in Kingston with the management of the council, led by the Mayor Wynter McIntosh and the Secretary Manager David Gardner, where the findings and recommendations were outlined.

Among the recommendations made which the council has satisfactorily fulfilled, the local government minister said, were the documentation of the more than 86 properties owned by the council and the “proper procedure” for the awarding of contracts.