Fired police contractors being paid monthly but want lump sum

FIRED contract workers who were hired by former police commissioner Gary Griffith have said they are being paid monthly ,as opposed to the lump-sum payment they hoped for.

On October 25, the police service terminated and chose not to renew a total of 19 contracts in what it deemed a cost-cutting exercise. The police promised to compensate each contractor the full balance of their contract.

The amount expected to be saved in the cost-cutting exercise is yet to be determined.

Last month Finance Minister Colm Imbert said under Griffith, the expenditure for contract services rose by over $30 million in three years. Imbert said from 2018 to the present, expenses for contract work increased from $54.1 million in 2018 to $88.8 million in 2021.

Newsday was told workers were paid their salaries at the end of October and November with all their allowances.

Some of them wrote to the police seeking a lump sum, as they wish to pursue other jobs and in some cases retire and collect their pensions. To date, they said they have not received any feedback on whether they will be paid a lump sum and when.

Calls and messages to DCP Mc Donald Jacob went unanswered.

One dismissed worker lamented that being paid monthly will prevent them from being employed by the Government, as the accounting system will show them receiving two salaries and that will be flagged.

Among those dismissed were Francis Joseph, head of corporate communications; Gordon Barrett, manager of the social work unit; Sheldon Edghill, head of executive management services; Dwight Andrews, strategic adviser to Griffith; Andrews' wife Salisha Gomes-Andrews, head of planning, research and project implementation; media consultant Adrian Don Mora; and manager of the Astroturf Jameel Beharry.

Newsday was told the dismissals are part of an ongoing audit of the police service in which hiring from as far back as 2014 is under review. The audit is still ongoing.