Last night Mayor Zenaida Moya and her Financial team tried to dispel all suspicions and doubt centered around her council by explaining how in April of 2009 – the council’s deposits were $27,000 short. Along with the City Administrator Kiran Vanjani and the Financial Controller, Dwain Davis, she said it was the regular use of a non standard accounting practice called under-depositing where tens of thousands of dollars in cash would be taken form the deposits every month to cover expenses that the council for whatever reason could not do by cheque.
She said this was explained to the Prime Minister’s Financial Regulator and documents accounting for the April 2009 under-deposits were provided to him. The Mayor implied that she expected that to put an end to the matter which she characterized as a sort of mix – up. But today the Financial Regulator told us he is still reviewing the file and has not withdrawn his police complaint alleging theft at the City Council. He said that he “wants to verify everything and be fair to (the council).”
The matter and the decision on what to do next now rests – we are reliably informed – with the Director of Public Prosecutions. She will determine if criminal charges will be brought. Tillet told us that he couldn’t say anything further but he expects that the Prime Minister will say something before the end of the week.
It is of note that while April 2009’s accounts have a deposit discrepancy of 27 thousand dollars plus, other months are expected to show discrepancies as well as the practice of “under-depositing” was standard at City Hall. In defense of it, the Mayor says the government audit department met with the council’s financial management team on June 16TH and the auditors noted no irregularities. Still, the Mayor says the practice of under-depositing has been discontinued.
