Former Minister Devant Maharaj has urged Police Commissioner Gary Griffith to investigate the procurement process by the National Lottery Controls Board (NLCB), to hire Rhoda Bharath as a Communications Specialist.
Maharaj sent a letter to Griffith on Monday, raising concerns about how Bharath – a talk show host on Power 102.1 FM and UWI instructor II – was selected for a six-month contract that was subject to be extended at a monthly remuneration of $20,000.
According to minutes of a meeting dated August 13, 2018, the chairman of the NLCB board and its directors were urged to consider Bharath by the Ministry of Finance Communications Specialist. Her duty was to repair the company’s reputation and conduct crisis management to treat with backlash following Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s introduction of a 10% tax on lottery winnings over $1000. There was no Communications Specialist at the time. All of this was revealed in a series of correspondence requested by Maharaj from the NLCB, on July 1, 2019.
Seven months later, the former United National Congress Minister is questioning what factors led to Bharath successfully securing the position.
“From the documentation, it appears that there was never an open tender call for the position but merely a recommendation from the Ministry of Finance. The very same Ministry that wants to advise on proper procurement procedure for Ministries and State Agencies/Enterprises. The NLCB’s Chairman parroted this recommendation to the Board who swallowed as it appears they had no choice in the matter.”
Requesting a “positive response” from the top cop, Maharaj ended his letter by asking why officials from the Ministry of Finance were making recommendations to state boards.
“Why was a recommendation made from the MOF to hire Bharath specifically despite the fact that the NLCB has a Marketing and Public Relations Manager, as well as multiple Advertising Agencies to perform communications on behalf of the NLCB?”
“Where else has the MOF recommended that Bharath be similarly hired? Is the Minister of Finance Colm Imbert aware that officers of the Ministry are instructing Chairmen of State Boards to hire persons without any process? Is this good governance regarding the procurement of goods and services?”
Ironically, Commissioner Griffith and Bharath have gotten into social media squabbles over the Carnival season. It started when she shared a status on Facebook enquiring why Special Operations Response Officers were pictured carrying high-powered rifles while patrolling among masqueraders on the Queens Park Savannah Stage.
Griffith hit back in the comments and issued a media release slamming her lack of knowledge on the role of the various arms of the Police Service.
They have since called each other names with Bharath calling Griffith “FB Commissioner” and the top cop calling her “Orange head”, a reference to her dyed hair colour.
