UDP claims fraud in Housing Dept.

The United Democratic Party called a press conference this morning to expose what it claims is a major scandal in the Housing Department. Citing a leaked document from the Auditor General, area representatives Dean Barrow and Michael Finnegan alleged that L and J Trade and Management Company, appointed to collect loan payments on behalf of the department, had defrauded the treasury of perhaps as much as one hundred and thirty thousand dollars in funds received from home owners but not handed over. The politicians further alleged that high level employees of the department deliberately failed to carry out their oversight responsibilities and should be subject to criminal prosecution. Responding to the accusations made against her, L and J director Laurette August told News 5 that the UDP officials has misinterpreted the documents and that all monies collected by her company were receipted and with the exception of four payments held in escrow, turned over to either Housing or the Social Security Board, which had taken over the government’s housing portfolio. August says that Barrow and Finnegan are just trying to score points against their respective opponents in Queen’s Square and Mesopotamia, Dickie Bradley and Philip Bracket. August, as well as a number of other L and J employees, are family members of Bradley, who is the Minister of Housing.