RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The department that audits different branches within the city government acknowledged it is investigating several matters within the mayor’s office.
City Auditor Umesh Dalal told 8News his department is not conducting an audit, but an investigation. Dalal discussed what his department discovered regarding the city’s Public Works Director, Emmanuel O. Adediran, doing work at a church that is being constructed where Mayor Dwight Jones is a pastor.
“We couldn’t verify whether he did or did not work during city business hours acting as a project manager, what we found was he participated in conference calls for about 38 hours relating to church business,” Dalal said. “Initially, 40 emails related to church business and subsequently we found 200 additional emails related to church business here at city hall.
“We also found vendors that submitted quotes for church construction made on city email.”
In an exclusive interview conducted Tuesday with 8News, Mayor Dwight Jones insisted Adediran did nothing wrong.
“In this incident it appears that no rules have been violated and we’ve gone to great lengths to avoid any appearance of impropriety,” the mayor said. “But I want to be clear that the gentleman in question is a hard worker a conscientious worker who works many dozens of hours more than he’s paid to work.”
The mayor added that he and other local pastors were troubled by a news agency requesting his church’s attendance roll.
“Many pastors in the city are very troubled that people are going to be victimized because of their choice of place of worship,” he said.
City Councilman Charles Samuels said he would support further discussion and an investigation into what is going on.
“Regardless of whether the dual employment is at a law office, church or bakery, when the leader of that organization begins hiring people from that organization for a second job, it raises eyebrows,” Samuels said. “To suggest asking about dual employment or moonlighting victimizes employees does not hold up to scrutiny.”
