A high-ranking official of the Public Works Department believes that the weekend burglary at the department's administrative complex was related to an ongoing public corruption investigation, targeting employees of the department.
PWD Director of Special Projects Roan Creque said Tuesday he is convinced that the destruction of some 40 offices during the break-in was an attempt at hindering the investigation. But the evidence, he said, has already been well-secured.
"The people who broke in looking for information should know that the files they may have been looking for are already secured," he said. Creque said the files and other evidence were turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the attorney general's office, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Inspector General.
He said the attack on the building would not dampen the spirit and resilient attitude of the employees. "All who believe that tearing up Public Works will hamper the operation is wrong," Creque said. Burglars tore up offices, rifling filing cabinets and desk drawers.
Acting Commissioner Wayne Callwood has speculated that the break-in was related to contracts out for bid, but Creque seemed appalled at the suggestion.
"It's an insult to the contractors to suggest that they are breaking in to check out the status of pending bids that have not opened as yet," he said. "Anytime you have persons who go through all the offices and destroy property like they did, they are looking for information on contracts that have already been let."
He denied that any substantial information on pending contracts or bid packages is even maintained at the PWD.
"Contractors have no reason to break in to Public Works because any information on pending contracts is available on the bid proposal packages that the agency sends out … there's no need for them to break in to get it."
As a consequence of the break-in, security is reportedly being tightened at the Public Works building on St. Thomas.