Allegations that some $27 m has gone missing from the coffers of the St. Mary Parish Council, are being investigated by the Department of Local Government.

Details about the amount and where the money has gone are expected to be unraveled by an audit now taking place at the council.

Reports to Irie FM News are that after internal checks, the Chairman of the Council, Richard Creary brought the matter to the attention of the Local Government Department.

A meeting was arranged with Minister of State for Local Government, Robert Montague and an audit agreed on.

Some Councillors in the St. Mary Council are hopping mad about the alleged misappropriation or fraud, which they say, has shut down activities to do with their divisions.

They say there are attempts to cover it all up.

The Council’s Finance Committee has been told that all spending has been put on hold and that about 27 million dollars that should be in an account is not there.

As a result only emergency spending is being approved.

Chairman of the Council, Mayor of Port Maria Richard Creary says the Council is not calling it fraud and that auditors are now at the Council.

He said he had requested they be called in.

Asked repeatedly about the amount of money involved or that has not been accounted for, the Mayor would give no figure saying details of the whole matter would be known in about two weeks, after the audit.

Council members say that the Council has been in a financial bind since earlier this year.

One Councillor who spoke on condition of not being identified, told Irie FM News that his colleagues have been concerned about the failure of the Council to allocated funds for drain cleaning work at this time in the hurricane season.

Another Councillor said they have not been able to get work started in their Divisions that would help people to look after their children’s back to school needs .