Members of Parliament’s staff are perturbed over
an order given by the Secretary General of Parliament to
reinstate, with effect from today (7), a staffer who had been
found guilty and interdicted over an alleged misappropriation of
State funds, official sources in Parliament told The Island on
Wednesday.
The employee concerned who had been interdicted
in July 2003had been presented with a charge sheet after the
interdiction order and a retired Judge was assigned to hold a
disciplinary inquiry on six charges brought against the said
employee. The charges included misappropriation of State funds
amounting to Rs.52,500, Rs.7,625, Rs. 39,487 and Rs.363,531. The
judge had found the employee concerned guilty of the charges.
However, it came as a surprise to the staff of
the Parliament when an order was issued, to the administration
staff of Parliament by the Secretary General,that the guilty
party be reinstated with effect from today..
Official sources said that in such cases,
especially those involving the loss of over Rs.450,000 to the
State, the Speaker is consulted and a decision made on the
Speaker’s directive followed by the Secretary General but in
this instance the Speaker had not been consulted before
reinstatement.
