And we also asked Minister Usher about the forestry officer, Daniel Chi, who had been placed on administrative leave after he was reportedly rude to the prime minister over the phone. It's a long story, one that we've reported on plenty of times, starting with the owner of "Botanical Gardens by Roselynn" importing CITES prohibited plants and invasive species into the country.
It boiled down to the PM making a call on her behalf, and ended with Chi facing the consequences. There was the question of whether the PM should have made that call at all, but - not surprisingly - according to the Ministry of Public Service, PM Briceno wasn't in the wrong, since he was working in "service of the people."
Hon. Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman
"Well, there is a process laid out in the public service regulations dealing with disciplinary measures. It speaks about minor infractions and major infractions. So, the first determination has to be made - that ministry is whether it was a minor or major infraction and there are different procedures for both. The public officer in question was sent on administrative leave and I believe an investigation is ongoing at the moment. There is a possibility from that particular ministry to request a suspension of that particular public officer who while investigation is ongoing. I'm not sure where that process is right now, but that would be the procedure to be followed."
Reporter
"The question was posed to you before about whether a prime minister, a minister is supposed to jump the CEO and give a directive to an officer who is below chief executive officer?"
Hon. Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman
"I've heard that comment made out in the media and the public and my answer to that is that we are elected to serve people and the prime minister is elected to serve people as well and if he feels that in his office, in his capacity in service to people, that he can call a public officer to ask for a certain disposition to be made, then I don't see anything wrong with that. It's not about jumping any rank, its about the prime minister acting in his capacity as a servant to the people. I believe he was asking that the whole investigation into the plants be done after the plants are brought in so that the plants can be put in a storage facility so they don't get destroyed."
Reporter
"But there is something wrong with that. It appears they were already at that point of confiscating."
Hon. Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman
"Well, I think they were still investigating. I've only seen it in the media, but certainly, to answer your previous question, I think the prime minister has every right to call a public officer and ask them when he is working in service of the people."
