Stephan Kishore–the disaster management co-ordinator who hid his criminal record to secure a job–met with Local Government Ministry officials last week. But Chaguanas mayor Orlando Nagessar said no decision had yet been made on Kishore's appointment and up to yesterday he remained employed at the Chaguanas Regional Corporation.
"It is not in our hands. It is being directly handled by the ministry," Nagessar said. Kishore could not be reached for comment yesterday. Line minister Suruj Rambachan, in an interview with the T&T Guardian last week, said the matter had caused him to question the criteria being used to hire personnel and admitted the Human Resource Department at his ministry may be at fault for not doing the proper background checks.
Kishore said a three-member panel, which included deputy permanent secretary Steven Creese, interviewed him for the job at the corporation. Employees of the Disaster Preparedness Unit are hired via the ministry at Kent House, Maraval. Kishore, 26, was convicted of illegally possessing a fake federal agent's identification card in the United States in 2006.
He did not disclose his criminal record to the interview panel, saying it was because he was not asked. Kishore served 60 days in prison and was put on three years' probation. He returned home in 2009 when he was unable to get a green card because of his criminal record and was hired in 2011 on a three-year contract.
In an interview with the Sunday Guardian, Kishore said: "Don't ask, don't tell," when asked why he remained silent.