Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo supervising the loading of his X-Trail windscreen gift he received from a supplier, into his service issued vehicle.
Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo is under the microscope for reportedly using his office to receive gifts from suppliers, a practice that public servants are strongly advised against as it is viewed as a means to fuel corruption.
Eddo through his office based on information and documentation seen by BIG Smith News Watch; received a brand new windscreen for his personal Duty-Free Nissan X-Trail. The windscreen was sent in a shipment of fire engines for the Guyana Fire Service from Angloco Limited, the company from which fire tenders for the local fire department are sourced.
But is not only a windscreen scandal that the Fire Chief has landed himself in. Alleged corrupt practices involving the issuance of certain certificates and licenses by the Guyana Fire Service is also a matter now under the radar with Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo’s name being in the middle of it all.
Documentation have surfaced which suggests that Edoo as Fire Chief, removed an established system of checks and balances that allowed for a proper accounting system of all safety certificates and petroleum licenses to be properly recorded and issued.
Several individuals from within the Guyana Fire Service are on record where they submitted statements that show Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo changed the financial procedures and systems within the Guyana Fire Service.
Previously, persons desirous of being issued a safety certificate and petroleum license had to follow a procedure where they apply to the fire service and that application would be processed.
They would then be contacted and guided on the next step which includes them visiting the fire prevention department and the finance department of the fire service, the latter department which accepts all payments… or rather.. should be accepting all payments.
Those procedures have since been changed by Edoo who according to documents seen by this publication, reportedly instructed his ranks to ensure that all persons making payment for petroleum license and safety certificates, make those payments to his office directly.
Kalamadeen Edoo is no stranger to the public’s eyes. Last year he was publicly lambasted by President Irfaan Ali for his poor and unprepared handling of the Brickdam Police Station Fire where he showed up totally unprepared to battle the blaze.
He also displayed complete ignorance on the availability of fire hydrants within the immediate and outskirts of the fore zone. His handling of that fire caused him to be sent home but shortly after, returned to the job.
But it seemed that the president’s warning to the Fire Chief fell on deaf ears. Several weeks later, the fire chief was back on another major fire (DPP OFFICE) scene where he again showed up without his fire fighting gear making him incapable of properly commanding his ranks as he could not go in close proximity of where real fire firefighting was taking place.
It was the same Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo who blacked out at the scene of a fire at King and Charlotte Streets last year as the smoke and activity was not something he is usually accustomed to. In that fire, he again was without his proper fire-fighting gears.