Protestors in the Kalinago Territory are demanding answers with regard to funds it is alleged are missing funds from the Kalinago Council.
A group of protestors gathered earlier today at the Kalinago Council Office, in the Territory, claiming that a sum of EC$30,000 is missing from from the Council and demanding that the money be accounted for.
According to one of the protestors who spoke to Dominica News Online (DNO), for months they have been requesting a meeting and accountability from the relevant authorities including Kalinago Chief, Lorenzo Sanford, but they have been ignored.
DNO has also received a letter dated June 28, 2021, from Senator Anette Sanford to the Minister of Sports, Culture and Community Development Hon. Roselyn Paul which documents those same concerns.
In the letter, copied to Local Government Commissioner Glenroy Toussaint, Sanford thanked the Minister for completing the audit of the public accounts managed by the Kalinago Council – as requested by the community in 2020.
“Undoubtedly, this audit was widely supported by our community including Chief Sanford who used the audit as the mode to clear his name via public statements made through his Facebook page ‘Lorenzo Sanford’ (March 10th 2020) and on The Dominica Broadcasting Station (DBS), Friday 31st July 2020,” Senator Sanford’s letter stated. “Unsurprisingly, the audit report which is currently being suppressed from the public, released March 2021, but reviewed by my Office on May 11th 2021, alleges that public funds were embezzled by the Chief’s office, to the sum of thirty thousand Eastern Caribbean Dollars XCD 30 000.”
She noted however that there is no record in the minutes of the Kalinago Council indicating that the Council was consulted prior to the withdrawal of the alleged missing funds funds. According to Sanford, the minutes also does not make any mention of a quorum that authorized the use of the alleged funds, or a record of the purpose for which the alleged funds were withdrawn from public accounts.
The letter points out that consultation, quorum for authorization, and recorded purpose are required for the legal use of public funds and failure to meet these requirements is considered embezzlement – the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to your care but actually owned by someone else.
“This would result in automatic resignation or imprisonment,” the letter adds.
Considering the ramifications of a conviction for embezzlement, Sanford drew reference to Chief Hilary Frederick who was banned from holding public office for ten (10) long years, 1984-1994, after being convicted of embezzlement.
“Though it was stated that the deceased Chief Hilary appropriated the public funds to finance a trip to Geneva, Belgium to intercede on behalf of the Kalinago People, he was convicted and the ban went largely unprotested by the community because the legal chain of custody of public funds had been broken,” the letter stated.
According to the Senator, the Kalinago community is concerned that the Minister’s silence and that of her ministry to the alleged embezzlement by Chief Sanford could inadvertently be interpreted as tacit approval of these actions by the public and could further exacerbate a trend of declining confidence in local government institutions.
“For too many years, the Kalinago Council faced challenges, resulting from the lack of accountability and transparency, however, the youthful chief and administration, and with you at the helm of the ministry, as a long-time community development stalwart and now Minister of Local Government, the Community anticipated better.”
In the letter, Sanford urged Paul to familiarize herself with the Kalinago Act and do her utmost to uphold its word and spirit.
She also called on the Minister to recognize the efforts made by Sanford, herself and others to address this situation as an opportunity for partnering for the right cause.
“You as Minister, and MP, I as Senator, have both taken oaths to uphold the general welfare of the public,” the letter goes on to state. “Given the oath that I have taken, several attempts have been made to meet with the Chief and Council to discuss the matter but each has been unsuccessful. Furthermore, the Chief and Council have also refused to meet other concerned groups within the community who wish to discuss the alleged embezzlement and the consequences of such actions.”
Labelling their actions as an act to preserve the integrity of the Kalinago Council and Office of Chief, she recommended the release of the audit report to the requesting public, an apology from the Chief’s office for the alleged offence and his immediate resignation from the Office of Chief. The letter is also calling for the resignation of the councillors for their refusal to speak out and take responsibility for their lack of actions per the constitution, .
“In an effort to legitimately address this blotted era in the history of the governance of the Kalinago tribe, in the weeks ahead, I will continue to hold community consultations and education sessions on this particular issue while we await your actions,” the letter ended by stating.
DNO will attempt to seek comment from the relevant authorities.
Show me one branch of government that does not have missing money somewhere and I’ll show u a priest that’s sin free
So true! Dominica is the epicenter of CORRUPTION in the Caribbean probably in the entire world.
We treat it as a joke and swept under the carpet.
Another day in this corrupt labour party administration.
UWP is out of POWER because MASSIVE CORRUPTION,DECEPTION,BOBOL and LIES.
your turn soon.
DISSIDENT,you seem to forget LINTON made a JACKA out of you in Parliament,when he told you”TAKE OUT YOUR CALCULATOR”With all his multiplication,addition subtraction and division he NEVER found the answer for a missing $1.2 billion.If you forgot,we DPL don’t forget.
I FULLY SUPPORT THIS MOVEMENT. for too long the Kalingo have been treated like 3rd class citizens when they should be put FIRST! We use them in our marketing and our promotion. We boast them but they are taken seriously. Their Parl Rep is a pawn and quite possibly an opportunist who is only about the money while trying to seem like he is working for the people. The Kalinago Chief is guided by the Parl Rep. The people NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THEIR FUNDS! you cannot just tell the people oh we use it after Maria 27 million from Chavez. The Chief now thinks he is the supremo. Watch election come and he get kicked out because the people are not satisfied.
a big news company like you guys cannot write a gramatically correct headline or know how to type $30,000. i see $30.0000 there yuh ? allu sure is not three hundred thousand that missing ?
ADMIN: We appreciate your feedback. The amount is 30,000.
The extra zero was a typographical error and has been corrected. Note that the grammar is correct for the headline.
Additionally, it is an international common practice where headlines use an abbreviated form of speech and grammar.
As I watched the faces of some of these protestors this came to mind. The voice of the people is the voice of God.
God don’t likes ugly!
Many are called but few are chosen.
All that is part of the Chief Inciter’s Plan.
He uses a DUMMY to orchestrate his plans.
Yes CORRUPTION is ubiquitous. Some can only see like the fish, SAUL. Talking about embezzlement;
But what about the funds from pledges and donations that were made on the various trips to the US and other countries. What about the funds that were collected locally in the THOUSANDS of dollars?
All those monies were alleged collected by ONE individual on behalf of the UWP. So no one is interested in accountability and transparency for those monies? What happen to those monies?
Isn’t tat embezzlement too?
Mam, could you inquire about that for us too?
The Dominican people need to know about their monies which were alleged given to the UWP, they demand accountability and transparency regarding those monies.
Kid on the Blick
But Kid you are in no way, shape or form associated with UWP, what are you talking about nah????.. I voted UWP and i am not aware of what you are talking. The monies are not yours.
Your money is the CBI money about
EC$2 000 000 000.00 unaccounted for, but you are MOO MOO about it.
Stop putting the cart before the horse kid.
But %, Is the same CBI monies WE donated and pledged the MAN has. It is my money that’s why I am asking about it.
When the PM is all out negotiating your Boss is at home watching cartoon and scratching his bl,,,ac b,,ls in front a TV.
Is so ALL YOU want to live? On poor people’s back?
@Kid on the Block
Only thing in your convoluted mess and puffery is that you are admitting that the people of Dominica are poor.. This poverty is under 20 years of DLP rule. Are you ot ashamed? That’s how the liar, Skerrit, has truncated your dreams Kid. Handouts shall never make you rich.
He thinks the poverty is a blessing, because it makes Skerrit look like Jesus Christ when he giving out the pittances.
That response had nothing to do with the article. Here, a sitting Kalinago Chief is accused of embezzlement, a very serious crime that could land the perpetrator years in prison and all this low caliber guy has to spew is horse manure.
Some people are considered smart until they open their mouths.
How come you and Skerrit doh figure out a way to embarrass Linton about the missing $1.2 Billion yet?
they does use Joseph Isaac as a buffer on that topic. Notice how they like to get sidetracked, and impune and all kind of nonsense, use the AG to try and answer but not the Director of Audit, all kind of nonsense.
What about the CBI missing money?
What about all the donations and grants and fund collected after Erica in 2015? how much was received?
What about all the donations and grants and fund collected after Maria in 2017? how much was received?
What about funds received for COVID-19? how much was received and dispersed?
Kid on the block you and the clown need to research that for us.
DNO, as the most popular news site, you can do much more for your country in attaining good governance. Just research well, ensure that you disseminate the objective facts and evidence. Try to minimize inaccuracies and be totally impartial.
I said all of that to say this. Too many important issues in this county pertaining to wrongdoings only have a shelf life of three (3) days. Please do a column perhaps once weekly to remind the public of these unresolved, consequential issues. You can coin it ‘LEST WEFORGET’ or ‘STILL UNRESOLVED’ or even ‘A QUICK STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE’.
If we don’t deal with past issues we are bound to repeat it. Just a suggestion..
Here goes another DICTATORIAL move by MALAPROP France!
Thought the Manicou Gang would already be on sight with their battlefield weapons.
Already on SITE…..
Every sunday as part of the mass there is a prayer for the leaders. Religious leaders and political leaders. There are countless examples from the dawn of man that shows the character of a leader guides a nation and is reflected in its people. This is not an accident. The bible teaches us we are like sheep and both in civil and religious communities the Shepard is key in getting the sheep to greener pastures. Are we then suprised over the years there has been increased hatred for our fellowmen like that displayed for the voices of honesty and transparency? Are we surprised at the countless stories of money disappearing at our ports, village councils, police stations, passport programs etc? Are we surprised at the amount of sexual abuse case of our youn ladies in court and the increase in violence over the years. The greed, the selfishness, the deceit even in our churches. I believe leadership matters and Dominica is a reflection of just that. All this largesse comes from the top.
What has happened and is presently happening in the Kalinago territory is just a microcosm of what’s taking place with the governance of the whole country. CORRUPTION is ubiquitous. When a government is corrupt the whole of society becomes corrupt.
In government and in the Kalinago territory we have with:- *transparency & accountability *getting access to public documents and public figures *missing public funds * keeping of proper records *quick self-enrichment
By the way, there still has not been a proper accounting of the US $10 000 000 that the former leader, now deceased, Hugo Chávez, gave to the Skerrit regime to start a financial, institution in the Kalinago territory.
While protesting the alleged embezzlement of funds by the present Kalinago Chief, the people of the Kalingo territory should rigorously protest the US 10 000 000 that has not been properly and accurately accounted for.
Birds of one feather flock together.
Monkey see, monkey do. Every where you look in Dominica corruption and dishonesty is rife. It’s a disease that needs to be eradicated.
No law, no constitution….