Public Service Commission Chairman Cent Langidrik and commissioners Raynard Gideon and Lomes McKay sent memos to Alfred directing him to resume salary payments to two Ministry of Health workers who are part of a group of six suspended government workers facing criminal charges for allegedly taking part in the theft of more than $500,000 from the government.
Langidrik, however, in an interview denied that such a memo regarding the reinstatement of pay for the workers was issued. But the March 23, 2011 memo to Alfred signed by Langidrik, Gideon and McKay was obtained from government sources. It reprimands Alfred for “failure to carry out a direct instruction from the PSC.”
PSC leaders called Alfred’s action “an act of insubordination” and said “disciplinary action shall be determined in an effort to deter any unacceptable behavior” in the future.
While the memo on PSC letterhead is signed by all three PSC members, Langidrik claimed that he had not signed any memo to Alfred. “Our Constitution allows that people are innocent until proven guilty,” said Langidrik. “But these people have been criminally charged so they need to be suspended pending the decision of the court.”
But the memo from PSC states otherwise. “Over the past month, you (Alfred) were specifically instructed to release payments for certain employees who were allegedly been accused of mishandling federal fund and also refused to sign a contract under Tony Shu’s name,” said the March 23 memo.
Alfred confirmed that the heads of the public service had ordered him to resume paying some suspended workers charged in the fraud. “I won’t do it,” Alfred said Thursday. “I’m following the legal advice of the attorney general.”
The Finance secretary, who took over at the ministry in January, said he will not resume payroll for workers implicated in defrauding the government of U.S. federal grants to the Ministry of Health.
Alfred PSC does not have authority over Finance spending practices. The Finance minister and cabinet have that authority, he added.
Normal government policy when a worker is charged criminally is for them to be suspended without pay pending the outcome of the court case.
