Police investigating new breaches at Manchester Municipal Corporation
MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Superintendent of the Manchester Police Division Wayne Cameron has confirmed that an investigation is taking place into breaches at the Manchester Municipal Corporation.
According to a press release from the People’s National Party, it was Chief Executive Officer at the entity, Winston Palmer, who called in law enforcement to look into the matter.
It further stated that the Deputy Mayor and Councillor for the Spur Tree Division in North Western Manchester, Ervin Facey, resigned following payment for work in the parish, for which a cheque was disbursed before the voucher was approved by the requisite signatories.
Two other officers of the Corporation have reportedly tendered their resignation as a result of the issue.
When contacted yesterday evening, Cameron said he was not able to speak about the investigation.
“Yes there’s an investigation that I’m not prepared to address publicly at this time,” he said in a WhatsApp response to OBSERVER ONLINE.
The Manchester Municipal Corporation has been under probe by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), the Office of the Contractor General and the Financial Investigations Division.
Following a raid at the Corporation in 2016, the former Deputy Superintendent of the Road and Works Department Sanja Elliott and a man who is said to have been the caretaker for a property he owned were arrested and are still before the court answering to charges related to fraud.
As the MOCA investigation progressed, former director of finance and acting secretary manager David Harris, former temporary works overseer Kendale Roberts, a bank employee and members of Elliott’s family were also charged.
At a May 30 appearance in the Manchester Parish Court attorneys involved in the matter expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress.
MOCA said among the outstanding information that is needed to move forward are assessments of a handwriting expert.
The presiding judge ordered that when the matter returns to court on July 23 they should be able to set a trial date.
Alicia Sutherland
