Ameen: Police probing URP ‘ghost-gang’, payments after audit

Khadijah Ameen, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government greets members of the Boundaries of the Municipalities Committee at Kent House, Port of Spain on November 28. - Lincoln Holder

Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen said her ministry has made reports to the police, and several people have been held for questioning in relation to the “ghost gang” issue at the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP). She said some of those detained were found with multiple cards, and some were criminal elements.

“Police informed us some of them are involved in gangs. There are several police investigations.”

Speaking with Newsday after the distribution of instruments of appointment for the Boundaries of the Municipalities Committee, at Kent House, Port of Spain, on November 28, she said there are still ongoing internal audits, and more police reports may be made.

Ameen also addressed the matter in Parliament while responding to a question by Laventille West MP Kareem Marcelle on November 26. Marcelle had asked how many URP workers had been sent home and/or terminated since April 29.

Ameen said the workforce “on paper” numbered almost 1,000, but the figure was inaccurate, as some listed workers were not even living in Trinidad and Tobago.

“When we came into office, we met 928 workers on paper. Termination letters were issued to all 928, some of whom we couldn’t even find to give them the letter, and others who only turned up to receive their letter.”

She said 130 public servants who had been employed with the URP were absorbed into the Local Government Ministry and assigned to various municipal corporations throughout TT.

On the one-month payment promised, she reiterated while speaking to Newsday the payment was forthcoming following internal audits now under way.

“It is customary. Anytime you have gratuities to be paid, it must be audited. I was a councillor and chairman. At the end of your term in office, it usually takes some time to audit that before it is paid."

Ameen added, “Any kind of ex-gratia payment, any gratuity or retirement payment, has to be properly audited.” She stressed, “There is no delay in the process. It's just going through the normal procedure.”

Also in Parliament on November 26, in a supplemental question, Marcelle asked about the payment, and she said the payments had been delayed due to the ongoing audit of the programme.

In Parliament she also said millions had been wasted under the previous government and advised audits and investigations were being conducted. She said it was “standard” given the contract termination.

Asked when she expected the audit to be completed, Ameen said it was not up to her.

“Those things are not in the hands of the minister or any political person. This is a process of the public service. There is an auditor's department, and they treat it as they see necessary, and they follow the rules.”

On September 10, an undisclosed number of URP workers were terminated with immediate effect and given one month’s salary in lieu of notice. Ameen has said the government is restructuring the programme after massive corruption was unearthed.