Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
VASWANI
THE NATIONAL Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has again been rocked by contractual irregularities, leading its board members to give the Errol Greene-led management team 60 days to correct recently-revealed breaches in protocol.
Sources close to The Gleaner have revealed that approximately $40 million has been spent between July 2004 and March 2005 for work on a landfill, without the knowledge or approval of the board.
Prakash Vaswani, chairman of the NSWMA Board that was recently terminated upon the appointment of Portia Simpson Miller as Prime Minister, confirmed that there were breaches in protocols that govern the issuing of contracts at the state agency.
"We want the breaches immediately corrected, as the (new) board will have a zero tolerance policy on such breaches," Mr. Vaswani stressed.
NO EVIDENCE OF CORRUPTION
He added that there was no evidence of corruption, but that the monies were paid to four companies over the eight-month period before the board found out late last month.
A senior board official, who requested anonymity, pointed out that companies/individuals fingered by the Contractor General's report last year were among the recipients of the money for what was labelled as "emergency work".
When contacted, Errol Greene, executive director of the NSWMA, was mum on the matter. He admitted that an issue came up for discussion during a recent board meeting but suggested that the news team speak with Mr. Vaswani for the details.
Mr. Greene, however, said he had no knowledge that contracts were being awarded without the knowledge of the board.
Last year, after much controversy, public outcry and an en bloc resignation of the NSWMA Board, then Contractor General Derrick McKoy painted a damning picture of mismanagement at the state agency, accusing former officers of presiding over nearly $2 billion in contract breaches.
In the report tabled in Parliament, Mr. McKoy stated that while he found no evidence to suggest that the Alston Stewart-led board and management team had used their positions for personal gain, he was disturbed by what he saw as clear violations of the rule of law.
