Opposition Leader, Basdeo Panday said Navas needed to say whose signature was on the cheque and explain where the money came from.

But Navas refused. ’Mr Panday is not an employee of the corporation and is not entitled to see the cheque. I cannot and would not give it to him,’ she said.

Navas said, however, that the money was obtained through ’the proper channels’ and no laws were breached. She had written to Warner asking for assistance in dealing with the issue.

On Monday, Warner handed over the cheque to the corporation, allowing the workers to be re-employed for two months.

But Panday said: ’We need him to tell us where the money came from. We should be careful where he got the money. It is undermining the integrity of this corporation if they don’t know where the money came from. This would then open up the door for criminals to come in and hand money to the borough.’

Panday returned to the corporation yesterday, and met residents to listen to their concerns.

It was his second week acting as surrogate MP for Jack Warner’s Chaguanas West constituency.

During his two-hour stay, Panday again occupied the office of the Deputy Mayor, Orlando Nagessar. But Navas hinted that Panday’s stint may soon come to an end.

’I don’t know whether it is in the constitution for Mr Panday to use the office of the Deputy Mayor to meet constituents. A team of corporation officials are having a meeting at the Ministry of Local Government on this and other matters at this time,’ she said.