The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER senior employee of the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) testified that his salary was withheld after he failed to follow instructions from Elwood Donaldson.

John Bowleg, who had previously served as acting assistant general manager of the corporation’s internal control and compliance unit, also claimed his NIB payments stopped and his telephone and email were disconnected.

The alleged incidents happened around January 2021.

Before this, Mr Bowleg said his department conducted various audits and emailed then-WSC board member George Carey requesting information on contacts over $100,000.

He said the department wanted to know if the contracts above $100,000 received board approval.

“We were looking into those companies and essentially digging deep into those companies and looking at all the records that pertains to how those contracts would’ve been issued,” he testified yesterday.

He said he told Mr Carey if he didn’t hear back from him within a certain period, the department would audit all contracts worth $100,000.

He said Mr Carey allegedly responded that he saw “no improprieties” with the contract awards.

“He would’ve mentioned specifically that the types of contracts from where he sits on the board, that they would’ve gone through a procurement process and that the same would’ve been presented to the board and approved by the board and the minutes of the board would reflect the same,” he claimed.

He said although he later received a written request from Mr Donaldson to report to the corporation’s office, he refused to go because COVID-19 guidelines were still in place.

“After I had that conversation with Mr Donaldson, I received various correspondence, and around the same time, my salary would’ve been withheld,” he said. “I think I was removed from national insurance.”

He said he could no longer access several files, and his work telephone and email were disconnected.

He said he was later removed from the corporation’s internal control and compliance division and other responsibilities were taken from him.

When cross-examined by Damian Gomez, KC, Mr Bowleg agreed with the suggestion that he was not being singled out when Mr Donaldson requested his presence at the corporation.

“He was actually asking you to do what was expected of all of the senior managers,” Mr Gomez said. “And isn’t it true that you resisted his invitation?”

Mr Bowleg replied that he only resisted Mr Donaldson’s invitation to attend at that particular location. He said the former general manager could access him in other ways.

Asked if he issued a writ against the corporation, the witness said he did so in response to various workplace grievances.

Carl Oliver, a former WSC board member, also testified about his involvement in the case and the procurement process.

He testified that the board could approve contracts above $250,000, but they ultimately required Cabinet approval.

Mr Donaldson is one of five persons on trial. He is being tried with Long Island MP Adrian Gibson, Peaches Farquharson, Joan Knowles and Jerome Missick.

Mr Gomez, KC, Murrio Ducillel KC, Bryan Bastian, Raphael Moxey, Ryan Eve, Ian Cargill and Donald Saunders represent the defendants.

Meanwhile, acting director of public prosecutions Ms Cordell Frazier, Cashena Thompson, Karine MacVean, Rashied Edgecombe are the Crown’s prosecutors.