December 23, 2024

Around the Regions

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“We acted based on what was documented in the contract” – Security Supervisor

Concerns continue to grow over the alleged corrupt handing of a secure contract in Region
Three. The alleged corruption implicates several senior RDC officials with the former REO,
Jennifer Ferreira Dougall distancing herself from the situation. Supervisor at Sentinel, Linden
Fowler dismissed the concerns, dubbing it as baseless allegations of someone who is seeking
relevancy.
The Security Supervisor speaking to www.aroundtheregions.com admitted that he is aware of
reports that an investigation was done but stated that it was illegally done by the Chief
Accountant, who is the acting Principal Assistant Secretary (PAS), Salota Daniels.
Fowler denied reports of his company charging for schools that had no guards.
“This isn’t the case and if you was to talk to the former REO, she will tell you that this wasn’t
the case,” Fowler said
“Let me say this, we have been allotted over 100 schools and what they were saying is that there
are two schools in one compound, and we were not supposed to be charging for that. That isn’t
my concern, we were operating based on what was contained in the contract,” he argued.
Pressed for an explanation as to why Sentinel claimed to have six guards at the secondary
schools and investigation found three and four  at these schools and where they claimed four
guards at the primary level and found one or two guards, Fowler denied knowledge of this. He
said that the Chief Accountant is sticking her nose where it shouldn’t be. Fowler said that his
company has engaged their lawyer Nigel Hughes on the matter. When asked as to why they
would have submitted incorrect numbers relating to the guards based on what was found from
the investigation, Fowler said that no investigation should have been done without his company’s
involvement. He declared that they were not notified. As such, whatever report is generated, his
company will dismiss it.
“I don’t give a f>>>> as to what the s>>> that Daniels and others say, as this contract was given
to my company and we are working with what it says,” Fowler said using several foul laced
expletives
He maintains his company wasn’t overpaid in any way. Pressed further as to why the documents
were changed reflecting fewer guards, after Daniels’ intervention and a subsequent sharp
reduction in the fees being charged, Fowler was unable to provide an answer.
Fowler went on to boast that he sits on the RDC and is also a member of the Regional Tender
Bard. “Boss I sit on both the RDC and the Regional Tender Board and I know what happens and
I have been dealing with security since 1999. All the security for this region I have changed and
managed it so no f>>>>>body can tell me or dictate what  I do because I know what I know,” he
said evidently upset with the questions that were being asked.

He continued, “I sitting at the RDC for three terms, so it’s not yesterday or today I dealing with
security so there isn’t anyone in the region who can tell me anything about security and Ms.
Daniels should tell you that my Director have written her as she is clueless as to what is going on
in the region.”
Meanwhile, in an invited comment the former REO, Jennifer Ferreira Dougall had said that she
had aced professionally and above board. She said that after the matter was first brought to her
attention, she sought to have reports from her programme heads but only a few complied. “As
the REO I checked things, if I see something is wrong, I send it down as I wouldn’t know that. I
ask for a report, I ask all the programme heads to give a report, some of them give so I can’t
really answer that. If I give an answer of yes or no, I will be liable,” she had said in an earlier
interview.
She had admitted that there were some irregularities from the end of Sentinel and wanted it to be
investigated. “I really can’t say that almost a 100 million was paid extra and that is truthfully.
There were some buildings, which I found out and I asked the programme heads to bring in their
reports  and after looking at the education report, I asked accounts to fix it,” she disclosed.
Admitting that she was aware of some irregularities with regards to Sentinel Security, the former
REO had said she threatened to request that the Ministry of Communities withdraw the contract.
“When I found out that there was one guard guarding two buildings I spoke directly with Mr.
Fowler and his company, threatening that if they don’t fix it I will write to Communities to have
the contract removed,” the former REO had said.
She continued, “When I found out the instance where Sentinel was allowing one guard to guard
two buildings, but claiming two buildings, I didn’t wanted them back, but because it was being
done from Communities end, there was little that we could do as every three months
Communities updated the contract and sent it back to us.”