US$40,000 reportedly vanishes from City Hall

By Svetlana Marshall

FORMER Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) Protocol Officer Waynewright Orderson has been called in for questioning in connection with the disappearance of US$40, 000 that was allegedly donated to City Hall. In November 2015, the Chinese Embassy reportedly donated US$40, 000 to the City Council to assist with a beautification programme, but when a progress report was sought recently, both the Council and the Administration were clueless as to where the money was.
They reportedly had no knowledge of the donation.

Former M&CC Protocol Officer Waynewright Orderson

On Thursday, Mayor Patricia Chase-Green told the Guyana Chronicle that the City Constabulary has launched an investigation into the missing funds, while confirming that Orderson was called in for questioning.
The missing funds were brought to light last Tuesday when Ambassador of the Federal Republic of China Zhang Limin sought a progress report while paying the Mayor a courtesy call.
Mayor Chase-Green said it was during that meeting that she was informed by the Chinese Embassy that the Global Friendship Foundation had received US$40, 000 on behalf of the municipality.
“They [Chinese Embassy] thought that the foundation was a part of the municipality, but that is not so,” the Mayor told this newspaper.
The Global Friendships Foundation is a non-profit citizen diplomacy network, which creates and strengthens partnerships between Georgetown and other cities, and communities internationally.
In 2014, the foundation was chaired by the former Mayor Hamilton Green.
Chase-Green is however maintaining that the Council had received no such donation.
“There was no money paid to the Treasury or scope of works sent to the Engineering Department. So we don’t know where this $8M went or who would have received this money on behalf of the Council. We are told a foundation, but I don’t know.”
Asked whether the Guyana Police Force will be called in to assist with the investigation, Chase-Green did not respond in the positive nor negative, simply maintaining that an investigation is ongoing.
“All we are asking is for the individual or individuals to say to the Council what work was done to the tune of $8M, who authorise the work and if no work was done, where is the money?”