The Justice Rosalyn Wilkinson ruling on the Jill Beharry case has taught Grenadians many lessons on what appears to be a dysfunctional Public Service Commission (PSC) over the years.
Anyone with a reasonable mind cannot but conclude that the PSC which is a constitutional creature has failed the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique in the discharge of its duties to look after the affairs of those hired to work in the public service.
THE NEW TODAY would not focus on whether Beharry is innocent or guilty of allegations that she leaked a government document under the current Congress government of Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell to the opposition New National Party (NNP) of Dr. Keith Mitchell.
The report brought to the fore allegations of a criminal nature that was done by this female public officer and the PSC did nothing to deal with the matter.
These persons who served at the PSC level in those days are nothing but a public disgrace for accepting a job and failing the nation.
Here are some of the alleged infractions of this public officer in which nothing was done to censure the individual:-
a.Infraction 1:
Memorandum dated 19th July 2007 from the Accountant General to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance and copied to the Chief Personnel Officer, forwarding a letter dated 12th July 2007, from Ms. Genevieve Gunpot on an incident involving yourself (Ms. Beharry) and Ms. Gunpot including the use of obscene and insulting language to the officer.
Memorandum dated 1st November 2007 from Accountant General by which she forwarded your (Ms. Beharry) response dated October 31st 2007, to the above referenced correspondence. The Commission noted the Accountant General’s statement as follows, “l have had too many reports of similar nature from members of staff regarding Ms. Beharry’s conduct. I have tirelessly spoken to her.”
- Infraction 2:
Memorandum dated 24th March 2011, from the Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Education, Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development to the Chief Personnel Officer regarding the insertion by yourself (Ms. Beharry) of the name and relevant information onto the official payroll of someone not employed by the Government.
The Commission noted the Permanent Secretary’s statement that, “The Ministry is of the opinion that Ms. Beharry was fully aware that her actions were unauthorised….”
Memorandum dated May 31st 2011, from the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance to the Chief Personnel Officer forwarding an Audit Report dated 30th May 2011 from the Director of Audit on your (Ms. Beharry) alleged unauthorized action;
Memorandum dated 31st May 2011, from the Accountant General to the Chief Personnel Officer forwarding a report on an Internal Audit Investigation from the Director of Audit dated 30tn May 2011, on the incident.
- Infraction
Memorandum dated 12th March 2012, from the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Sports to the Chief Personnel Officer on the matter of your (Ms. Beharry4) attendance for the period January to March 2012;
Your letter dated 24th April 2011, (error noted in the date which should have read 2012) in response to the above referenced memorandum.
- Infraction
Letter dated July 30th 2015, from the Permanent Secretary (Ag), Ministry of Youth, Sports and Religious Affairs addressed to you about your habitual lateness and absence from duty.
Infraction
Memorandum dated 28th December 2021, from the Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts, Fisheries and Co-operatives forwarding a letter (dated) 3rd December 2021, addressed to you from Permanent Secretary (Ag.), regarding your (Ms. Beharry’s) frequent lateness and absence from duty as well as falsifying the entries in the Attendance Register, insubordination and disrespect to Senior Administrative Officer.
After reading the Justice Wilkinson report, a leading executive of one of the nation’s most prestigious firms said: “…In my experience at (name of company withheld), she was a bad paymaster.” (We) give her a credit once an’ she bad pay for so.”
Based on the above, it is not surprising that Ms. Beharry’s personal files at the Commission are so tainted with alleged wrongdoing.
These are the kind of people that the PSC helped to breed within the Grenada Public Service over the years due to their colossal failure to take the appropriate action against them.
It is nothing but a shame and disgrace to Grenadians the behaviour of all those persons who sat at the PSC at the relevant times when complaints were filed against Beharry and absolutely no action was taken.
THE NEW TODAY has a deep suspicion that Beharry was well-connected politically and considered as one of the many untouchables in the Public Service.
It is interesting that she comes from the Constituency of St Mark, which is considered as a garrison for the NNP over the past 38 years.
Given the track record as exposed in the Justice Wilkinson Report, it is doubtful that any employer in the private sector would have been inclined to offer employment to Beharry because she seemed to be very toxic and would contaminate other members of staff.
The position of THE NEW TODAY is that the likes of Jill Beharry should be weeded out of the public service.
It is unwise to offer this individual early retirement and be allowed to go home and enjoy the benefits of taxpayers’ dollars.
The current PSC should try and do some face saving over the alleged leak of the government document by transferring Beharry from the Public Service and into a statutory body which has a good and strong management structure in place to handle the likes of her.
The question is where, as so many statutory bodies are known to be just as weak as the Public Service.