Port GM commits fraud

The Port Authority of Guam is using government funds and government workers on the clock to prepare the agency's Liberation Day float for next week's parade.



These photos were taken on duty Tuesday afternoon building the float inside the newly renovated Container Freight Station Building, also known as the CFS building. All of the employees working on the float were being paid during their work on the float.



Port General Manager Joanne Brown sent a memo to the Board of Directors dated June 18, 2014 noting that the Port had created a Liberation Day Committee to construct the float. Brown further states a "request is being made in the amount of $2,500.00 to support the necessary supplies and materials." With some questioning by board members at the June 25, 2014 meeting they eventually approved the request.



The Port is always asking the Public Utilities Commission to raise their rates because they need more money for port operations yet they can afford money to build a float and pay employees on the clock to build it. The Port has always had the employee association take up this cause in the past and fund the float. The employees also volunteered their time to build the float when they were off duty. Of course that was when there was high morale at the port and the Port Strong spirit was alive and well. Times are different now


The employee who submitted these pictures says using these employees during working hours could be considered fraud since the Port is billing the agents for the work those employees are allegedly conducting on the ships. The employee adds that the use of the employees on the float doubles the work load of those not on the float detail.


"I feel that the guys working on the float during vessel operations is wrong because they charge the agent for a set amount of workers to work on the vessel and we don't meet that requirement," the employee said. "Also those of us who do work against the vessel have to work twice as hard to make up for those who are working on the float."