Former CitCo HR Manager accuses mayor of lying…

The story of a default in Social Security contributions by City Council has been in the news since Monday. News Five broke the story that over three hundred thousand dollars in employees’ contributions had not been paid up by City Hall and since then there has been a back and forth on who knew of the default in payments for the period September 2007 to December 2008. Mayor Zenaida Moya has said she signed cheques to Social Security and did not know about the arrears. The Council’s Director of Financial Services, Duane Davis, is supporting her story and last night said he had not informed the mayor of the arrears but that employees knew. Today former Human Resources Manager, Christine Perriott, is accusing Moya of lying. We spoke to all three today.

Zenaida Moya, Belize City Mayor
“I don’t get into the nitty gritty of exactly what and what is done. That is where you pay technocrats to carry out the work. Otherwise I would not get my political work done. Hence, the reason that the technocrats probably felt that they would handle it. This is something that I would not have condoned had I known about it.”

Keith Swift, Channel Seven
“So will Mr. Davis be disciplined?”

Zenaida Moya
“That is something that I have thought about and I felt very upset that I wasn’t informed clearly and I know it looks bad, not only myself but on the council as well. But it’s something that is very unfortunate and I’ve had meetings about it. Of course when I found out about it I wasn’t thrilled but I had to ask him if in fact it was true because at the time I was of the view that, okay they would have been doing what they should have been doing as it pertains to the Finance Department and that is ensuring that payments are made, especially when it comes to deductions from staff because that is something that even when we got into office when it came to deductions and so many that were owed on behalf of the workers, that is something that immediately we got in and we ensured that we put a stop to.”

Marion Ali
“Can you tell us exactly when you found out and how?”

Zenaida Moya
“I found out whilst you interviewed me, that is when I found out. Monday if that was the interview, that was when I found out. The process is the Director of Financial Services reports to the City Administrator. I spoke with him later on and asked him why didn’t he tell me and he said well Mayor I was reporting directly to the City Administrator. That is how the organizational structure is.”

Marion Ali
“So he has that authority to make that kind of decision without your knowing?”

Zenaida Moya
“Well, he was reporting it directly to his supervisor so that is something I guess he felt that he was doing what he should be doing. He was trying to work it out I guess between himself and his supervisor.”

Marion Ali
“But this comes as an embarrassment to yourself and the Council. How could this have been done? How does he have that kind of authority and not tell you about it, even out of a matter of courtesy?”

Zenaida Moya
“That’s why I told you Marion, I’m not the most thrilled. I mean, I am certainly not happy about the matter.”

Duane Davis, Director, Financial Service, CitCo
“The Mayor didn’t know because the City Administrator and myself met with the Social Security officials. This would have been around July, august thereabout of last year that we met with the Social Security officials to discuss how we would pay off this outstanding amount.”

Marion Ali
“And you held this meeting with Social Security officials unbeknownst to the Mayor?”

Duane Davis
“Yes, we did because at the time I reported to the City Administrator, not directly to the Mayor, but directly to the City Administrator who at the time was Inglebert Perrera. So of course he would have been the person who I would report to and dealt with this. He then would have dealt with the Mayor with it. I don’t know what he did. As far as I know, the Mayor wasn’t aware of that meeting and the decision that we had taken there. We had agreed at that meeting with Social Security officials that during the period December to about May, we would have paid off this outstanding amount since that’s the period when we collect quite a bit of money from property taxes, trade licenses etcetera. We started in December and we have made four payments to date totaling some eighty-eight thousand and odd. The outstanding amount right now is about two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. The deductions were made from the employees salaries and that resides right here in the council. In December we started to make the payments.”

Marion Ali
“Are you aware that it is illegal to withhold and not pay Social Security contributions?”

Duane Davis
“We are aware and that is why we met with Social Security officials to work out something.”

Christine Perriott, former Human Resources Manager, CitCo
“In August it was brought to our attention that the council wasn’t paying Social Security contributions and I had this discussion with the city admin because it was brought to his attention also. We talked about it and I asked him if he had mentioned it to her and he told me he had. Also, I know she is aware because the Director of Finance, Mr. Davis who has provided listing of all the people that we owe—he does that one a “now-and-again” basis as it’s been required because even myself. When we were working on the budget, there was a timer involved and we were trying to make sure the finances were in order and how we could have paid the deficit and smallen the debt and at the same time try to pay the new bills that we’re incurring—the council had been incurring. I know then because I was involved then, that that matter came up and it was addressed and I know she was aware.”

Marion Ali
“You realize now that it’s basically your word against her word and Mr. Davis because he told me today that no, she didn’t know because it was a decision that he and the City Administrator made upon their own after meeting with Social Security Officials. They made that decision and they never informed the mayor.”

Christine Perriott
“Well, I will tell you something. If Mr. Davis is saying that Mr. Davis is colluding with her and he is not telling the truth because I cannot tell you if he and the City Administrator met at that time but I know for a fact that she was told. I know for a fact the council was told because when Inglebert was dealing with the finances, we on a constant basis, discussed how we could do these streamlined cost cutting measures so that we could take some of the money that we were cutting to pay debts and then to pay current and then to keep the council alive and viable. So I know for a fact and she ha the portfolio with finances and so it was our duty to ensure that she is always aware of that.”

Marion Ali
“Christine Perriott has said out rightly you knew about it, she knows that you knew because she was one of the managers that approached you about. I guess she’s saying you’re lying.”

Zenaida Moya
“See this is one thing I can tell you. Anybody who knows me knows that I fear God more than anybody else. Nobody else I fear on earth and I can put my hand on the Bible and tell you she had never approached me about this.”

Marion Ali
“This is not a personal grievance why you’re saying she’s lying?”

Christine Perriott
“For me she is aware and she is aware of everything that’s going on there.”

Marion Ali
“She says she can swear on the bible that she didn’t know before our interview on Monday.”

Christine Perriott
“May God forgive her!”

Moya says she does not feel this latest revelation will have any significant bearing on her performance at the polls next Wednesday.