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Mandeville mayor defends financial oversight at municipal corporation

Published:Friday | June 15, 2018 | 12:26 PMTamara Bailey
Mayor of Mandeville Donovan Mitchell- File photo

Chairman of the Manchester Municipal Corporation and Mayor of Mandeville Donovan Mitchell has defended the local authority against criticisms over another multi-million dollar fraud and corruption case at the corporation.

Deputy Mayor Ervin Facey and two workers in the corporation's accounts department have resigned over allegations that millions were paid out without approval.

Speaking at Thursday's monthly meeting, Mitchell argued that the corporation has systems in places to protect against wrongdoing.

According to him, it was those systems that detected the irregularities.

“Our hallmark [in this municipal corporation] is transparency and accountability…. and let me state for the record that outside of what happened in 2016 - the other two matters that I keep hearing bits and pieces [about] -…this was not the police, no external auditor or any agency of government that came down and found that there were irregularities in the system, it was our auditors and accounting team,” Mitchell said.

Meanwhile, Councillor for the Mile Gully Division Rohan Kennedy was elected as deputy mayor, a post Facey held for a number of years.

The councillors also voted to granted Facey a leave of absence on medical grounds as the councillor for the Spur Tree Division.

No indication was given as to when he would return to his post.

The meeting was told that if the leave exceeds three months permission is required from the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government.

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