Registrar General Elizabeth Thompson reported on Tuesday that she called the police after an incident involving a male employee of her Department, who had reportedly been ordered to follow her around to prevent her from signing crucial documents in the office.
It was just another angle of the saga that has continued ever since Supreme Court Justice Hugh Small ruled one month ago that she had been unfairly terminated. The judge at the time also quashed the authoritiesﾴ decision to fire her.
According to several employees at the Registrar Generalﾴs Department, a staff meeting was held on Monday with representatives from the Ministry of Financial Services and Investments at which time they were informed that they were not allowed to follow any instructions from Ms. Thompson.
Minister of Financial Services and Investments Allyson Maynard Gibson has insisted all along that Shane Miller remains the acting registrar general.
The employees claimed that at the meeting a receptionist, Michael Fernander, was selected to follow Ms. Thompson around the office to deter her from signing documents and gaining entrance to various offices.
According to Ms. Thompson, when she arrived at the Rodney E. Bain Building on Parliament Street on Tuesday morning, Mr. Fernander immediately started to follow her as she made her daily rounds.
She explained that upon entering the births section, located on the second floor, she attempted to gain access to a supervisorﾴs office, but was stopped by Mr. Fernander.
“He put his foot in the door to stop me from entering this office and therefore I called the police,” Ms. Thompson said.
Mr. Fernander, who was sitting at a desk in the section where Ms. Thompson was signing birth certificates, declined to comment on the fiasco.
Shortly after, a police inspector arrived and asked Ms. Thompson to step into an office for a few moments.
Meanwhile, Mr. Fernander was called away by Ms. Thompsonﾴs brother, attorney Fayne Thompson, who appeared upset over the incident.
“No one is to touch a hair on her head while she is on her job,” Mr. Thompson said.
As a result of the confrontation, Ms. Thompson said she pressed charges against Mr. Fernander for attempting to stop her from performing her duties as the registrar general.
When The Bahama Journal arrived at the Department, one employee bluntly refused to take instructions from Ms. Thompson, who had asked her to hand over certain documents.
The woman, who works in the births section, said she had no time for foolishness.
Ms. Thompson continued to sign the birth certificates, which were being handed out by other clerks to waiting clients.
Some employees complained that the whole debate over who is the real registrar general has become disruptive.
“The registrar office is a mess, the morale is very low and persons are refusing to work because the environment is too stressful. Furthermore, persons who speak to Ms. Thompson are being blacklisted, victimized and even transferred,” said one clerk, who declined to give her name.
She also said that the job of clerks has became more difficult because they are confused and have no clue which registrarﾴs signature would be considered valid.
“The authenticity of the documents is now a problem. Our clients are asking if they really own the properties that they purchase if (Acting Registrar) Shane Miller signs it and it is making us look incompetent because we are unable to answer,” the clerk said.
The government has appealed Justiceﾴs Small decision in this matter. Last week, he refused to grant a stay of his earlier ruling, which would have blocked Ms. Thompson from returning to work.
Justice Small said that he had no authority to prevent her from carrying out her duties as registrar general.
Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
