33 fake groups found in PNPYO, audit finds
Published:Sunday | July 18, 2021 | 12:52 AM
An audit of groups in the People’s National Party Youth Organisation (PNPYO) found 33 “suspicious” groups with about 90 voting delegates, enough to swing upcoming internal elections in the limping body.
Those additional details have emerged as Comrades try to come to terms with Krystal Tomlinson’s resignation as president on Friday, a day after a no-confidence vote in general secretary, Andre Brown.
In her resignation letter, Tomlinson alluded to the audit in revealing that Brown was removed from office on the basis of “allegations of fraudulent registration of groups”.
“I will not continue to serve where there is a wavering commitment to integrity; where parish and region chairmen engineer and facilitate fraudulent behaviour and have the audacity to parade themselves as ‘untouchables’ because of their proximity to the leadership of the party,” she added.
Suspicious signatures
The audit was done by a committee of four persons: Roger Bent, Michaelia Henry-Evans, Alicia Palmer and Paul Burke, who was chairman.
The 33 groups flagged could not be verified for a number of reasons, including suspicious signatures; non-response to telephone calls to listed members; absence of contact information for representatives or the wrong contact numbers, according to the information obtained by The Sunday Gleaner.
In one instance, the person listed as the secretary for the ‘Harbour View Progressives’ said she was not aware of the group, did not know she had the position, and that she was never invited to an alleged general meeting purportedly held on April 17, 2021.
Most of the fictitious groups were formed between December 15, 2020 and February 2021, while many of the approved groups were from as early as 2019.
The audit report was presented at an online meeting held via Zoom link last Thursday and involved more than 40 officials from the PNPYO and its parent body, the People’s National Party (PNP).
Seventy-one groups were verified.
PNPYO elections were initially scheduled for the weekend of July 25 but they have been pushed back indefinitely to allow for the auditing.
Telephone calls to the former general secretary have gone unanswered.
The group structure mirrors that of the PNP where a group is defined as a unit of at least 10 members and which has been in existence for at least seven months and its financials in an acceptable state.
All party groups which have had an annual general meeting as required by the PNP constitution elect delegates on a ratio of 10:1. So for every 10 members, the group gets to have one delegate.
FAKE PNPYO GROUPS
1. Content PNPYO
2. Impact
3. Top Road Lions
4. Harbour View Progressives
5. East Central YO
6. Ten Strong
7. Young Comrade
8. Southboro Power
9. Powerful Youth
10. Power
11. Top Strikers
12. Upsetters
13. Pusy YO
14. Jump Start
15. Fire Crackers
16. Let’s Go
17. Step Up
18. Champions
19. Believers
20. Conquers
21. Red Hill Warriors
22. Good Youths
23. On Fire
24. Stronga
25. Ice Breakers
26. One Love
27. Hot Stepper
28. Red Flames
29. Smart YO
30. Red Starlight
31. Red Pond Strong
32. East Central Clappers
33. Pine Power