RIVIERA BEACH OFFICIALS ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION Again, this time it's $576,200

This time Riviera paid a guy $576,200 who was already receiving full retirement benefits for work that should have been bid out. A closer look asks the question why they needed to pay him at all and whether the “work” actually need to be done, if it was. The Palm Beach County Inspector General has made the accusations in a written report that claims Lal Samadi billed Riviera Beach $576,200 in just over 3 years. As usual the city idiots had an excuse for the payments and not bidding out the work. Ruth Jones, the City Manager, claimed  Samadi wasn't providing engineering services that are covered by the procurement law, but instead “technical reviews and supervision” which are not. So $576,200 went out the door and into Samadi’s pocket. After hearing the Ruth Jones statement the Inspector General responded that “A total of eight resolutions to date have been approved by the city council indicating that Mr. Samadi provided professional engineering services” - not technical reviews and supervision. And instead of admitting the fraud the city is expending more tax dollars fighting it. So much like the Fane Lozman Floating Home case that could have been settled for $16K and now may cost the city over $1 million, this case will drag on. At what point does the City Attorney Pam Ryan accept the blame for spending & losing millions of the residents tax dollars on stupidity & corruption and resign? How much money has to go out the door before the council terminates her? How can a city that looks so poor and needs so much infrastructure work have $572,200 ($15,800 a month) to give to a retired employee for what they call “supervision?