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Comparing the across the board increase offered to public servants and the bonus granted to military officers is a comparison that is on par with comparing apples to oranges. This was the assertion of Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, when he hosted his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday at the Office of the President.Luncheon was at the time referring to the state of affairs concerning four senior officers who have been relieved of their duties pending developments related to legal action brought against Chief of Staff, Commodore Gary Best, in light of the fact that they were not in receipt of a one-month salary bonus. The bonus offer was made by Commander-in-chief, President Donald Ramotar, last year.But according to Dr Luncheon, in the case of the decision by the Commander-in-chief, “it had never been elevated to the level of an across the board measure…it has never been; it is a discretion that is exercised after the review of annual performances of the joint services.”“To make some nexus between access and enjoyment of an across the board increase for the entire public service to a discretion exercised by the Commander-in-chief for isolatedly the joint services, that is essentially a non-starter,” insisted Dr Luncheon.According to the Cabinet Secretary, “although we are not unmindful that this matter is sub judice”, the notion that the Commander in-chief’s decision intended to provide the indiscriminate granting of the bonus to the joint services cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.He noted, too, that the Defence Board has therefore asserted that since the introduction of the annual bonus provided by the authority of the Commander-in-chief “the intention and the practice in its implementation had indeed not allowed for the indiscriminate access by members of the joint services.”The four officers who were relieved of their duties and have since moved to the courts are Major (ag) Lesley Ramlall, Captain Rono Joseph, Captain Harold Fraser and Coast Guard Lieutenant, Andre’ Cush, They have filed a motion to have the Chief of Staff hand over the one-month salary bonus that was granted by President Ramotar last December.Best had chosen to withhold the salaries of over 100 soldiers last year, citing that for offences committed in 2012 that saw ranks having to be disciplined, the monies would not be paid. The senior officers through their lawyer, Abiola Wong-Inniss, accused Commodore Best of unreasonably, unlawfully and unfairly withholding their bonuses. They said that it is their knowledge that other officers who were initially denied their bonus had been paid.One officer has stated that there were no charges brought against him in 2012, another said administrative action was taken against him for what was said to be inappropriate relationship with a female,NFL Jerseys China, yet another said he had performance allegations against him pertaining to the force’s Credit Union but the matter was still pending, while a fourth spoke of insubordination allegations which he too said is still pending.Other factions of the joint services who were also slated for the bonus, had expressed interest in seeing the matter played out.Commodore Best is expected to answer the matter against him when it is called before the Chief Justice at the High Court on March 19. Best will have to give reason why his decision to withhold the soldiers’ bonuses should not be quashed. |
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發表於 2018-9-26 20:02:56
