OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:

Newly appointed secretary manager of the St. Ann Parish Council, Michael Morris, and Mayor of St. Ann’s Bay, Delroy Giscombe, are at odds over a decision taken by the secretary to suspend an employee without the mayor’s knowledge.

Morris informed the recent meeting of the council that he had placed manager of the Ocho Rios Market, Dunstan Dennis, on suspension, pending the outcome of investigations into alleged irregular-ities at the market.

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Morris, however, did not give the nature of the alleged irregularities.

Mayor Giscombe, who was not aware of the suspension of Dennis, became infuriated and asked that the suspension letter be withdrawn.

The mayor said the matter had been before the council for over three months and that the human resource committee had already taken a decision to transfer Dennis from Ocho Rios to the St. Ann’s Bay Market, so there was no need for the secretary manager to issue a suspension letter.

In trying to defend his action, Morris explained that the human resource committee had given an instruction that an investigation be carried out into the matter.

Staff orders, he said, empowered him to either interdict the person or send him on leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.

The matter was raised in the meeting by Carol Jackson, councillor for the Ocho Rios division, who noted that, over three months ago, the council received reports of discre-pancies at the Ocho Rios Market and asked why no action had been taken against anyone. She also charged that other employees had been fired for doing far less.

Mayor Giscombe, in commenting on the situation, accused Councillor Jackson of influencing the action taken by the secretary manager, whom he instructed to convey to him all decisions of the council prior to their being implemented.

–Devon Evans