Last week we told you that John Pinelo returned as Deputy Chief Forest Officer despite the serious allegations of professional misconduct made against him. He went on leave last month after being accused of bribery and extortion; however, since then, Sustainable Development Minister Orlando Habet said that there wasn't enough evidence against him. This is despite his accuser, Cesar Godinez, writing to the Ministry outlining a complaint of alleged extortion and adding that he has evidence of his allegations which he is prepared to share. But the Ministry of Sustainable Development never reached out for that evidence and claims to have conducted an internal investigation-which allowed Pinelo to return to work as the Deputy Chief.
So will the complaint of corruption go any further than that? Or is it just like that old Yellowman song: "nobody move, nobody get hurt?" Seems so! According to Public Service Minister Henry Charles Usher, they can't act until they get a report from that Ministry. Here's how he explained it today:
Reporter:
"How does the public gain trust in relation to what has transpired with that entire thing? Because he's allowed to apply for the post. But in terms of any actual, like, serious investigation into the allegations, to be seen that that was done adequately?"
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service
"It's a fair question you ask, because the Minister of the Public Service can't act unless we receive something from whatever ministry there is an issue. So we have not had the opportunity to see anything yet when in reference to this particular set of events. And so the Public Service Commission as well has not been able to act, it has been an investigation that was done internally at the Ministry of Sustainable Development. And we hope that we can get full disclosure as to what that investigation actually revealed."
Reporter:
"So is it that the post of Chief Forest Officer will be advertised?"
Henry Charles Usher:
"So the post had been advertised before there was an acting Chief Forest Officer. I think when the former Chief Forest Officer retired, there was some time in between when he had some leave, and so he didn't actually leave office until a few months later. So that vacancy was pulled back to say, okay, we'll wait until the substantive post is actually vacant until we publicize that post again. So that will happen very soon."
