Regional Officers live rent free in Government quarters
RUSSIA - Moscow has deployed a cruise missile in an apparent treaty violation, a senior military official told CNN Tuesday. The move is just the latest in a string of Russian provocations in the early days of the Trump administration, which has called for warmer relations with the Kremlin. The traditional US adversary has also positioned a spy ship off the coast of Delaware and carried out flights near a US Navy warship, concerning American officials. The administration has not officially drawn any links between the three events. While declining to speak on intelligence matters, a spokesman for the US State Department did draw attention to Russian violations of the treaty. “The Russian Federation remains in violation of its INF Treaty obligations not to possess, produce or flighttest a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles,” acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement issued Tuesday. “We have made very clear our concerns about Russia’s violation, the risks it poses to European and Asian security, and our strong interest in returning Russia to compliance with the treaty,” Toner added. Just last week, a US Navy warship in the Black Sea had three encounters with Russian aircraft Friday that were deemed to be unsafe and unprofessional because of how close the Russian planes flew to the US, according to a senior defense official. Moscow pushed back on the allegation Tuesday, with Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov telling Russian state media “there has been no incident on February 10th involving flybys of Russian military planes in the Black Sea next to USS Porter.”
(CNN.com) GUYANA - In an astonishing admission at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting at Parliament on Monday, it was revealed that 27 Region Six officers lived rent free in Government quarters for over a year when they should have been paying rent. In a bizarre twist, one of the officers has taken the Region to court to continue living at his quarter for free. While Chairman Irfaan Ali found this amusing he said it is unbelievable the lengths some people will go to have their own way.
According to Regional Executive Officer Kim Williams Stephens the officers have been written to informing them that rent monies will be taken from their earnings commencing March 1. However PAC chairman, Irfaan Ali questioned why it has taken so long for the matter to be addressed. The issue was flagged by the Auditor General’s Office in 2015. During an audit of the region’s affairs it was found that 72 residential buildings were occupied by officers of the Region; however the Regional administration was not in receipt of rents from the occupants.
Additionally, region officials could not say if any of the properties were furnished, neither could they verify who were eligible to live rent free. Stephens explained that she recently took up the current position and she could not say why this was not done. This issue has raised serious questions of accountability by senior officers in the Regions; and why under the watch of a Regional Executive Officer and a Deputy Regional Executive Officer such an issue was not known. It is believed that this issue may have cheated the government’s purse of over $7M over that period on none payment.
(kaieteurnews.com)