Has the victimisation started? Sr officer to be forced out of Treasury Dept!
Our well placed sources within the Government’s Human Resources (HR) Department have confirmed that Ms Smith, an indigenous Virgin Islander, was advised that she will be “reassigned” from June 17, 2015, days after the 2015 general elections, to the Inland Revenue Department.
Ms Smith’s new post or her new duties were not immediately known by the source. Ms Smith has worked as a Management Accountant at the Treasury Department since September 2013.
However, our well placed sources in the Government HR Department confirmed that the officer was “told word of mouth that the reassignment was deferred to July 7, 2015”.
It remains unclear the status of her acting appointment of Deputy Accountant General.
Meanwhile, Financial Secretary Mr Neil M. Smith denied that Ms Smith was being reassigned when contacted today, July 3, 2015. "Ms Laurel Smith is not being reassigned," Mr Smith told Virgin Islands News Online.
History of victimisation
Following the 2011 General elections that saw the National Democratic Party (NDP) took power, many senior civil servants were forced out, fired, transferred, retired and sent on leave. The public, civil society and the media labelled it as political victimisation. Public officers had nowhere to turn for help but to the courts for justice, as both former Governor William B. McCleary and current John S. Duncan OBE did nothing to protect the public service from becoming political. In fact they went ‘AWOL’. The current governor, months after his arrival, said he sees no victimisation.
The courts have ruled for the most part in favour of affected public officers for unlawful dismissal, denial of promotions, and violations of rights, along with abuse of power. In some cases the court has ordered compensation.
Instability in Treasury Department
Following the 2011 general elections that brought the Dr Smith-led National Democratic Party government to power, Mrs Kharid Fraser, wife of Third District Representative Honourable Julian Fraser RA, was removed from her post of Accountant General without reason, a move many labeled as political victimisation.
Ms Anna Rabsatt was then named Acting Accountant General. However, Ms Rabsatt was sent home under the Government programme of ‘take your vacation days or lose it’.
She was expected back from vacation leave by April 15, 2013. However, it was announced that “Ms. Rabsatt has been reassigned to the Ministry of Finance and has yet to decide whether she wishes to return to the Treasury Department at the end of the exercise after she completes further academic and professional studies…”
An Anguillan consultant assigned to the Treasury Department, Kalleesha C. Mendie, became the new Acting Accountant General of the Virgin Islands.
In August 2013 Dr Sandra M. Besson was confirmed in the post of Accountant General of the Territory. She tendered her resignation on December 2, 2014. The Government in a statement said that Dr Besson’s resignation was for personal reasons.
AG turnovers speak volumes of financial management
Representative for the First District Honourable Andrew A. Fahie had said the fact that the National Democratic Party (NDP) Administration has had four Accountants General in just three years speaks volumes for their financial management of the territory.
He was speaking on Saturday January 24, 2015, during his delivery of his First District Annual Report at the Capoon’s Bay Recreational Grounds.
“In three years, this Administration has had four Accountant Generals and a fifth is yet to be named. In any business where the Head Accountant flies the coop so often then something is drastically wrong with the financial management of the company,” he said.
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51 Responses to “Has the victimisation started? Sr officer to be forced out of Treasury Dept!”
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You are making very serious allegations. #1 Payment vouchers are submitted to Treasury from the various Departments. If the departments do not send these vouchers a vendor cannot get paid. These vouchers MUST be in order before a payment can me made. I doubt it that anybody in Treasury Department does hold up any body vouchers or checks on their desks.
Or maybe you work there and you have seen it happen give us the proof to this my friend real talk.
My Take you need to shut your damn mouth when it comes to this young lady. She don't take her job for a joke. When it comes to her job she is very serious in doing what she do. She treats everybody equal. This young lady works hard ensuring that the department runs smoothly. She don't take sh%$ from anyone and if you tell her to do something that she know it is wrong; then she would not do it. They want to get rid of her because they cannot get her to do their dirty work. She believes in honesty.
It's always to put people in the best places.
Where the hell is the B*T*E man? If he isn't functioning then why is he receiving this big fat salary? they need to send him back to his mold infested office until he smells the coffee.
For example, if the budget says 20 million to do roads then that is whats it for...they can't take any of that money and pay their utility bills....it don't work so.
So before a set of you start bring down the Treasury you need to first ask the FS WTH he is doing with regards to planning the Government's money.