The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

Chief Councillor for the City of Freeport Council Chervita Campbell will not chair or conduct any further council meetings pending the outcome of a police investigation into allegations of fraudulent contract bidding.

After ongoing pressure from council members who moved a motion last week and again early this week for the chief councillor to recuse herself, Ms Campbell stepped aside and allowed Deputy Chief Councillor Nevar Smith to conduct the meeting.

The Tribune contacted Administrator for the City of Freeport Charles King, who confirmed that police investigations have been launched into a matter involving the validity of quotations for work that was scheduled to be done at Taino Beach.

Mr King said the council has called in police to investigate and determine whether the quotations that came in are legitimate.

The Tribune contacted Ms Campbell yesterday, and she is confident that she will be vindicated.

In a statement, Ms Campbell explained that a specially called meeting was held at the City of Freeport District Council’s Office on Tuesday.

“The council voted in majority that I should recuse myself from chairing meetings until such time as certain allegations involving quotations are properly investigated by the police,” she said.

“The deputy chief councillor will conduct meetings until the completion of the report in accordance with generally accepted practices. Upon which time, I will resume the chairing of meetings.”

Council members questioned one of the quotations during a meeting in late March. Marco City councillor Kevin Ferguson raised concerns about the bidding, the exorbitant cost, and the way the deal was signed off. The council was seeking bids for work at Taino Beach in preparation for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.

Administrator King said that councillors felt that one of the quotations was not valid and requested police to investigate.

At last Thursday’s council meeting tensions ran high when deputy chief councillor Smith and other councillors called on Ms Campbell to step down until the police investigations were concluded.

Mr King said that councillors moved a motion on Tuesday for Ms Campbell not to chair any further meetings until the matter is resolved.

Ms Campbell further stated that an Ethics Committee has also been formed, comprised of persons in the community who will provide advice regarding ethical standards to the council.

“This, I believe, is very important to our democratic process to demonstrate ethics, transparency, accountability and good governance,” she said.

Although Ms Campbell will not be chairing the meetings, Mr King said that she is still chief councillor.

If any councillor has been found to have committed a wrongdoing, Mr King said that there is a procedure that must be followed.

He said that if the seat of any councillor becomes vacant, there must be an election for a replacement.

Ms Campbell is one of nine persons elected to the City of Freeport Council in June 2014. She was voted in as chief councillor.

This is not the first time that a chief councillor in the City of Freeport has been embroiled in controversy and forced to step aside. In 2008, councillors moved a motion for a vote of no confidence in the previous chief councillor, who later filed an action in Supreme Court concerning her wrongful removal.