Acting Finance Minister Stuart Young yesterday detailed circumstances surrounding the provision of security for the chairman of the National Lotteries Control Board, Marvin Johncilla, by the NLCB.
He did so in Parliament yesterday in response to queries by the Opposition.
Young said in June 2016 the NCLB Board halted sponsorship arrangements pending conduct of an audit by NLCB’s Marketing and PR Departments on the validity of recurrent sponsorships.
He added: “As a result of this move the NLCB chairman received a number of threats which he took seriously. He proceeded to retain his own personal security service. He brought this to the attention of the Board members in 2016.”
“His board members, having been told of the threats and security concerns, suggested or instructed and insisted he broach his security concerns with the director of the NLCB. After that, certain decisions were taken and he was provided with security services until November 2016 at which time it ceased,”
Young said he didn’t have information on if the threats were reported to the police or the cost to taxpayers’ of the initial security.
Also in the House yesterday, National Security Minister, Edmund Dillon, also told MPs that the Police Manpower Audit Committee was—up to May 31—in the first phase of its exercise.
That phase was analysis. Subsequent phases included design and implementation.
Dillon added, “The (first phase) comprises intense date gathering, including examining the Police Service’s current operational environment, the effectiveness of policies, practices and procedures; community -level perception of the service and conducting consultations with stakeholders to identify core and emerging issues”
Dillon said the team’s final report will be delivered to Cabinet by December 31.
He disagreed with Opposition perception that there was lack of public confidence in the team’s work because there was poor turnout at a recent consultation.
On categories of workers to be made redundant as a result of TSTT’s purchase of Massy Communications, Public Utilities Minister Fitzgerald Hinds replied, “Any such development is in a broad sense always possible. This possibility, however, hasn’t been contemplated and therefore not assessed to date . Therefore the likelihood doesn’t arise.”
