DETROIT (WXYZ) – Detroit School’s Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb is diving deeper into the real estate dealings of the school district.
During a morning press conference, Bobb said has was going to court to ask a judge to force a number of people connected with the deals to testify about what went on.
Among those he wants to hear from are Detroit Public School Board member Anthony Adams, David and Andrew Farbman and Sharon Harbin. Adams is also a former school district appraiser and former DPS General Counsel. The Farbmans are part of the Farbman Group, the organization that owns the Fisher Building, where the school district offices are located. Harbin is a former DPS appraiser.
The Farbmans, Adams and Harbin have all refused to cooperate with Bobb’s public hearings.
Bobb has been holding the public hearings into Detroit Public Schools real estate transaction since October. They are concentrating on deals made from 1999 to 2005. It was during this time that Adams served as General Counsel.
During today’s press conference, Bobb also announced that Former Superintendent Kenneth Burnley has agreed to testify. Former DPS executives Robert Moore and Robert Francis have also agreed to testify. They will appear at public hearings during the first week of December.
Among the deals Bobb is looking into are the purchase of space inside the Fisher building for DPS offices and the purchase of land for the new Cass Tech High School.
