Estate police challenge executive

SEETA PERSAD

ESTATE police from at least ten organisations are accusing the current executive of the Estate Police Association ( EPA) of mismanagement and poor representation. Representatives of the various bodies headed by Derrick Richardson went to the EPA headquarters in Marabella on Thursday morning to air their grievances.

They say the association, led by Steve Smart, is not seeking the interests of its membership.

“Estate police are disadvantaged, they are abused through long hours of work and poor conditions of work and no one is saying anything about it,” Richardson said.

At the meeting on Thursday were representatives from ten organisations including Petrotrin, the Airports Authority, Lake Asphalt, Central Bank and CDA.

“We are calling on Smart to account to the central committee, this being the highest decision-making body in the EPA,” Richardson said.

He cited an incident in which he claimed money collected by the association was withdrawn from the bank and disbursed in the absence of the treasurer, contrary to the rules of the EPA. He said the matter was reported to the police.

Richardson accused Smart of not presenting a financial report to the central committee since he was elected on September 5, 2014 and claimed Smart dismissed the elected treasurer, Winston Melville for asking questions about its financial affairs.

In response, Smart said he took out the funds to pay workers in the absence of Lewis. “The treasurer, Lewis is well aware that he was not available to pay workers and I had to get the funds and do so myself,” he said.

Smart said he was never questioned by police, as Richardson claimed.

He said elections for a new executive are scheduled for November 11 and that was why Richardson and others were now finding fault with his administration.

In relation to claims that the membership is suffering, Smart said he had not received any reports from workers from the various branches.