Ministry denies Carter’s suspension

| 08/01/2018 | 44 Comments

(CNS): Despite widespread reports from multiple sources that Roydell Carter has been placed on required leave and is facing pressure to resign from his job as the director of the Department of Environmental Health, the ministry has denied that he has been suspended. The ministry’s chief officer, Jennifer Ahearn, released a statement Monday afternoon admitting that Carter was on leave but suggesting it was not as a result of any official action or concerns over the mismanagement of the department’s budget.

“Contrary to reports in the media, DEH Director Roydell Carter has not been suspended and there are no funds unaccounted for at DEH,” Ahearn stated.  “Carter is currently on leave, and Dr Paulino Rodrigues is Acting Director in his absence.”

Cayman News Service

DEH Director Roydell Carter with one of the new trucks

However, according to multiple sources that have spoken with CNS and other media outlets, Carter is on leave in direct relation to issues relating to the financial management at the department and that he is under pressure to give up his top civil service post.

For several weeks now government officials have refused to comment on the truthful situation regarding the management at the department. The DEH deals with the landfills on all three islands as well as garbage collection services, which have been suffering over the last few weeks due to a combination of staff shortages and equipment failures.

Despite the mounting evidence in the public domain that all is not well at the department, the government refuses to be transparent about the situation or what plans it has to address the resulting delays in garbage collection service and, among other problems, the refusal at the George Town dump to take derelict cars.

According to a number of government and other sources that have now spoken with CNS since we began making enquiries about concerns, who spoke on condition of anonymity, there are some serious problems at the landfill that came to a head towards the end of last year.

The issues are not related to missing, stolen or misappropriated funds, but rather to a massive budget overrun which has not been approved and falls foul of the appropriations law.

Although it is understood and has been confirmed by the ministry that an internal audit was triggered as a result of the financial challenges, officials continue to remain silent about any findings.

Dump boss suspended from job

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Category: Environmental Health, Health, Local News

Comments (44)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Soon to be a film “Get Carter!” except that’s already been done. “Get Roydell” doesn’t quite have the same ring, does it?

  2. Anonymous says:

    cancer!? living near the dump y inhaling fumes?

  3. Anonymous says:

    CNS I’d hate to see you guys end up in court for reporting a rumor but honestly the Compass editorial today is such a hypocritical mess.

    Do they think we are forgetting that just a couple months back they were the ones in hot water with the public for claiming Mrs McField-Nixon was arrested for crimes she did not commit.

    Their little jabs at CNS from our good ol moral “Compass” have become almost weekly now in my mind and it just goes to show that you are doing something right. The fact that they are trying to expose you for what appears to be an honest mistake or a slight error in information is hilarious to me, you can retract statements much easier, (you don’t have to rush around grabbing copies out of the hands of residents due to your own colossal mistakes in reporting) In my mind they are just jealous of the engagement that you have in your articles and admittedly ,while there is much to be desired I have one thing to say to you, “Keep on keeping on” because without you guys we are down to 2-3 news outlets on island and that is not good for business.

    CNS: Thanks for the vote of confidence. We really appreciate it! However, we are standing by our sources. As for the Compass, we just ignore their foolishness. Let the children play!

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  4. West bay Premier says:

    I think that the Premier is just washing this down everyone throats with his cool aide to get Dart to take over the whole thing .

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    • Anonymous says:

      The Compass is indebted to the government and our illustrious Premier. If he hadn’t recinded on his decision not to place adds with them, by now they would have been a mere blip in history.

  5. Anonymous says:

    5:53pm press watch dog it sounds if you are with the DEH management. It sounds if you need to go and do the minister of health and the chief officer job and resolves the issues in the DEH. It sounds if you need to go right away and get the Deputy Governor and go into all of the government departments and get the issues resolved because by the sounds of things it sounds if the Deputy Governor gone silent again on this next DEH fiasco. And press watch dog please do not cover-up like how landfill mount trashmore is getting covered up and displaying showing signs in the landfill like how i saw in the media on 8//1/18 trying to fool the public eyes on the issues of the landfill. i like the marl road talk because it is always something too the marl road talk but it depends on who know you most of the time it can be covered up and not come to the light. so press watch dog make sure you got your facts right and maybe you should leave the press alone and let them do their job while you go and help the Deputy Governor resolve this other DEH fiasco truthfully once and for all because it sounds if the Deputy Governor went sleep on it this remind me of the Matrix fiasco that happened in DEH some years back i think the cayman public still remember that.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Who is Dr Paulino Rodriguez??

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  7. Anonymous says:

    9:43pm it sounds if you work DEH and you are one of the worker’s that is allowed to do as you are pleased by the DEH mananagent. If your facts is correct did you report the incident?. And if you did can you prove it stop pointing your fingers at the garbage collectors because you are not the one that are suffering and have to collect the garbage in cayman daily. it sounds if you could be one of the those person that do not dispose of your garbage properily and do not have any respect at all for the garbage collectors. What were the last time you saw and talked to the garbage collectors told them good morning and thanked them for picking up your garbage and how much you appreciate them for what they do daily. It sounds if you need to face reality and stop discriminating because it sounds if you are living good in cayman. i am not being buyus and i hope you are not an a indigeous caymanian talking like that if so you should be put to clean the garbage for just only one week in cayman by yourself just for you to feel what those garbage collectors have to face daily. so please talk what you know because who feels it knows it and stop insulting and imbarrassing the garbage collectors because you are insulting them enough if you are one of them that is not disposing of your garbage properily for when the garbage collectors have to pick it up. if so please put your garbage in proper garbage bags and do not overload them and properily place them where the garbage collectors can pick them up. Blame it on the trucks and christmas holidays help is on the way for you more new second hand trucks again what a serious joke because the leaders of this country do not want to face the real issues because it will raffle too much bosses feathers so they rather leave it alone and cover and cover it up just to please a few and leave the majority too suffer just like how they are covering up the landfill mount trashmore. Where is the DEH worker that came from foreign that suppose to have being the salvation for cayman garbage i do not see that person in the media any longer all i see and hear about is the DEH Director it is something to question because that person were always photogenic always in the media before and now no hear and do not see anything about that person.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Ahearn is obviously not going admit to any shortcomings in her ministry. Should any wrong doing be the eventual outcome she should get the same treatment as Carter.

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  9. Gray matter says:

    Reminds me of a beautiful place with lush surroundings in Jamaica called .. Tivoli Gardens.

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  10. Gray matter says:

    New Garbage Trucks on the way with the CAL new fleet of planes.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Marl roads everywhere…

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  12. Anonymous says:

    When they stop driving the trucks like race cars they will serve the country better

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  13. Anonymous says:

    I heard on the marl road talk that the last garbage trucks that were purchased for DEH were not new they were second hand trucks but i heard the government paid plenty money for them lI heard also that the garbage collectors, garbage truck drivers and other garbage worker’s begged until they are tired of begging the Director DEH and the DEH management for a decent and liveable wage i heard the Director DEH insulted garbage collectors,truck drivers and other garbage worker’s before when they asked for a raise. I heard the Director DEH and the DEH management just have DEH for a pay check and they do not care about the day-day operations and pressure the collectors,truck drivers and other garbage worker’s for their mistakes (management mistakes). i heard the collectors, truck drivers and other garbage worker’s just be told by management what to do daily and they cannot say anything they must just work if they speak out they get victimized or they get a poor performance grade when it is time for performance assessment. last time i heard that there were a pay raise were a around over a year ago. and i heard that were not anything too even talk about or even take to the grocery store some worker’s got cents some got a dollar and some did not get anything. I heard the management make sure they got all the pay raises they could get that they did not get any pay raise the last time because they are already living good they are too the top of the pay scale. i heard they took care of their yes men staff and the Director took care the management and their yes men staff and the Director give the management whatever they request and other worker’s having to work under poor working conditions. I heard the chief officer and ministet of health visited DEH and they know what is happening in the DEH first hand from the DEH worker’s. My opinion on this whole senario it sounds if there is a continue cover-up for the DEH management and the garbage worker’s must suffer in silence and expect to perform good on their jobs by the sound of it only thing left for the collectors, truck drivers and other garbage worker’s that is suffering in silence is to be told by the Director DEH and DEH management is for them to go and find other jobs if they are not happy because them the DEH management seniors top guys will always do as they please suffer the garbage collectors, truck drivers and other garbage worker’s and not anything will be done about it they will just be in the workplace and ride the system to pieces collect a pay check and be protected by the ministry. I heard their will be more garbage trucks purchased again and the last garbage trucks that were purchased were not the solution because the trucks and garbage is still getting the blame it sounds if it is very poor morale of the worker’s and unfair treatment in the workplace from the Director and the management and the ministry know about it and fail to resolve the issues over and over now but only to cover it up and please the Director and the management over and over again. Amen god i pray for the collectors, garbage truck drivers and other garbage worker’s that is suffering from the unfair treatment in the workplace hold the faith hope is on the way more trucks again the ministry say and i hope you all will get a better pay soon some day because by the sounds of it the management is not going anyway because by the sounds of it the minister and chief officer have them covered and protected all the way.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I hope these not the same collectors that throw away our garbage cans and/or cross our garbage cans three weeks in a row and not pick up the garbage.

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      • Anonymous says:

        And if you’re treated that way wouldn’t you act the same way?

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        • Anonymous says:

          That is a stupid and immature way to be. Why punish the public?? How were we to know?? Get a spokesperson and tell the story!!!!
          Insolent children throw trash and bins…

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    • Caymanian garbage says:

      Man that’s alot of heards! Lmao

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    • Stop the whining and get to work says:

      Oh the poor garbage collectors. The last time they got a raise was ‘around a year ago’….what a terrible hardship. My husband’s employer hasn’t given a raise to the hourly rate in 11 years, citing the financial crisis. They’ve taken away overtime, extended unpaid lunch times, given everyone less hours. In the last 4 years despite living as frugally as we can, we have spent more money than we earned. Our savings are almost gone. Maybe my husband should get a job as a garbage collector. I bet they earn a whole lot more than he does.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Instead of complaining about Civil Service being a good employer, complain about the bad employers out there.

  14. Ah boy says:

    I understand the difference in the words use by the Chief Offier leave and not suspended but please ask when is Mr. Carter expected to return to work? Then we will get to the bottom whether he is on required leave or not. Did the Chief Officer deny the required leave? Suspended is without pay. Required leave is with off with pay. Thank you and keep up the good work.

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  15. Anonymous says:

    If he is on vacation I see no reason why she could not say that, so I guess he is on what Government referrs to as “required leave” semantics!! The public is paying his and Ms. Ahern’s salary so I think we have a right to know. Time will tell.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    I believe DEH received a few new trucks just about 2 or three years ago when Osbourne Bodden was the Minister responsible.

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  17. Press watchdog says:

    So much for ‘responsible reporting’.
    The CNS article on 4th January is now shown to contain erroneous information: next time check your facts and don’t rely on rumours whoever they come from!

    CNS: We stand by our 4th January article.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    It was announced on Radio Cayman today 8/1/18 that the DEH were buying all new trucks expected delivery 3-6 months. Didn’t the DEH recently replace the trucks?

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Ladies and Gentlemen I give you Alden’s transparent government

    For love of country, or for love of power?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Pretend power, by the time it trickle down to him he just hears jump and he ask how high? What a hot mess.

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