Did mayor sign agreements without councillors consent?

Zenaida Moya

But beyond that, Moya also pulled out documents she says proves that other allegations made against her are false.  The Councillors had accused Moya Flowers of signing agreements and contracts without approval and behind their backs.

Zenaida Moya Flowers

“No monies can pass as it pertains to a contract or any contract can go ahead unless the appointed financial controller certifies off on it.  That is how we are operating at this Council.  So unless Mr Tillett certifies it doesn’t go through.  I saw over and over they showed this.  I looked at it because I wanted to know what it was that they were talking about and I looked at it and this si what they showed on the newscast.  So I got a copy of it and what it is a retainer agreement between at the time Elrington and Company and the City Council and this was for, as it says, a retainer.  For the payment of fees it states that the attorney agrees the payment of five thousand Belize dollars for retaining his professional services for one year.  I was given the authority to be able to spend five thousand dollars, but it still have to be certified by the financial controller, I could go ahead and approve, sign off pan, anything that and below.  This was for five thousand dollars for retaining professional services for a year.  But mek wi goh further than that.  Remember nothing can go through unless it is certified correct.”

“Now they speak about a letter and I goh what are they talking about?  Here it is a letter signed by the City Administrator to Mr. Elrington and it speaks of “please refer to our meeting of today, Monday July twenty-ninth at your law office.  We are pleased to enclose the cheque, etc.”  This is the draft letter and it goes about what is to be paid.  “We look forward for the contract between your firm and the Council for us to expedite the transfer of cases at your earliest convenience.”  So it speaks that a contract should come about.  This is what it is saying.  Now, the late Mr Davis wrote on this, he says “Please arrange payment of five thousand dollars to Elrington and Company Ltd and he e signs his name and dates it, July twenty-ninth.  Doctor Vanjani sends this and this is to the Mayor and all Councillors.  She copies it to everybody.  Remember I told you earlier that the financial controller has to certify payment before anything goes out.  He is the one that they say legalise things.  This is Mr Patrick Tillett’s signature right here, this is his certification right here, it’s dated, July twenty-ninth.  This is his signature.”

When we asked the Mayor why she thinks that seven Councillors would at this juncture publicly place allegations against her, she said it might be influenced by one particular Councillor who is just back at work.  The only Councillor who was away was Laura Esquivel Frampton who was on maternity leave.  And Moya’s reason for this is because they don’t mesh very well.  But why would Councillors Kevin Singh and Roger Espejo who were known Moya supporters join the group?  She says Espejo might be holding malice because she took away his portfolio that dealt with sanitation.  In Singh’s case, she said his reason is probably because she does not socialize in his circles. Surely this will not be the end of the rift in the council. As for Philip Willoughby, the mayor maintains he is still her deputy.