Sanctions Recommended for SAMC Breaches Over Charging Port

Chief Executive Officer at the St Ann Municipal Corporation (SAMC), Mr Rovel Morris could likely face sanctions and other remedial measures following a probe into the installation of a charging port at the corporation in 2019.

A recent report referred by the Integrity Commission tabled in the parliament on Tuesday found that not only was the former Mayor’s request for a charging port granted and approved by Mr Rovel Morris but that the approval was done six months before he sought the approval from the Permanent Secretary in the Local Government Ministry – A request that was flatly struck down by the Permanent Secretary.

Forty-four pages of a special report in which former Mayor Michael Belnavis sought to make it right on paper repaying the nearly 80 thousand dollars spent by the Municipality to install a charging port for his Porsche Cayenne Hybrid Motorcar. 

In the beginning or on March 22, 2019, a memo sent from the then Mayor Belnavis requested a charging port be installed for both the mayor’s vehicle and the Ocho Rios clamping vehicle… The probe revealed this was however misleading as there was no consideration for the clamping vehicle at the time the memo was sent to Morris. 

As the Chief Executive Officer at the SAMC, he reportedly went ahead and granted authorization for the charging port to be installed using funds amounting to just under 80 thousand dollars from the SAMC to pay for the charging facility.

Months later, six months to be exact, the CEO, Mr Morris by way of a letter dated May 27, 2020, sought permission from the permanent secretary which was necessary from the start to install an electric meter for the charging port already built. 

In his letter, it is reported that Morris indicated that the electrical meter would be registered in the then mayor’s name and would monitor his usage for charging his vehicle.it also suggested the cost borne from this installation and usage would be billed to Mr Belnavis. Investigations uncovered the meter was registered to the SAMC, and charges arising from its use were billed to the municipality, excluding him from payment.

It is of note that Permanent Secretary in her response dated June 22, 2020 instructed against the installation and advised that any cost borne by the municipality for it be immediately reimbursed. 

Three days later, a cheque dated June 25,2020 showed the reimbursement of the costs for installation of the facility to the SAMC from a Digi order limited, signed by Mr Belnavis. 

While the findings show the then-mayor may have unreasonably sought from the CEO a port installation and several other concerns about how the matter was handled, Belnavis having reimbursed the funds got off with a warning. Adding he repaid the monies as he didn’t wish for the matter to become a political stick after it received media attention later seeing him resigning as mayor.