Nandlall’s financial impropriety… Investigation should be launched – Chris Ram, APNU

Dec 11, 2014 News

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Chartered Accountant Chris Ram and Opposition Member of Parliament Carl Greenidge, are jointly calling on the

country’s Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, to launch an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds by Attorney General, Anil Nandlall.
Nandlall in a profanity-laced recorded conversation with a Kaieteur News reporter, admitted that he “used money from the government… and pay back long before” Publisher, Glenn Lall “made an issue of it.”
However, after the conversation went public, in a statement released to the press, the Minister said, “I wish to set the record straight …the reference relates to the reimbursement I received for monies I expended on medical treatment. This reimbursement was approved by Cabinet in a written Cabinet decision dated 20 June, 2013. This is, and historically has been, an entitlement of every member of Cabinet long before my appointment.”
Ram said that in light of there being a prorogued Parliament, he believes that even greater diligence should be exercised and as such, the financial irregularity should be properly investigated.
In an interview with this publication, the chartered accountant said that this course of action is without prejudice to the criminal investigation which the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), should be carrying out on what amounts to a clear admission of theft of public funds.
Ram said that there must be concern not only about Nandlall receiving the money but also, who authorized and paid it to him. He said the investigation to be undertaken by the Auditor General needs to reveal the dates for each transaction.
The accountant asserted that Sharma should exercise his powers in this regard, since he might have to ensure the recovery of the public funds as well as cooperate with the police and the DPP in their investigation of this grave impropriety. The Attorney-at-Law said that this should be done forthwith.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Shadow Finance Minister also agreed with calling on Sharma to investigate

the matter.
Greenidge added that the Auditor General has been called upon on several occasions to investigate complaints or activities that are questionable, and actually should not need to be told that this matter needs to be investigated.
As a matter of fact, the former Finance Minister said that the Public Accounts Committee asked Sharma to keep a file on current events, newspaper complaints and public reports that would allow him to expeditiously investigate matters without being asked to, as well as take action whenever the need arises.
“I don’t know whether he has done so but of course as Chairman of the Committee, I am not in a position to say anything to him because the Committee, like the House, is not convened, but as a Member of Parliament one could of course write him and I will do so,” Greenidge concluded.
In response to the alleged misappropriation, which Nandlall had described as an entitlement, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds in an interview with Kaieteur News, had said that he would not call the monies approved for certain emergencies as an entitlement. Hinds disclosed that such discretion by Cabinet “is not something that is automatic. It is something that would require much review.”
At the time of his interview, Hinds was out of the country and had declined to answer whether
the “entitlement” for Nandlall was indeed approved by Cabinet, as he claimed, and if the circumstances surrounding medical treatment amounted to an emergency.
He said that he was not apprised of all the facts and preferred to have all the “statements and or facts” before him before making any comment in that regard.
He was also asked if there is any entitlement for Cabinet members for monies for medical expenses or emergencies and the criteria governing this privilege. To this he had responded, “I would not call it an entitlement. It is not something that is automatic. It really is a hard question to respond to, but what I would say, is that one would have to review the long series of circumstances surrounding the need for money in that kind of situation. It would depend on the nature of the emergency for money to be granted. It’s not like a minister could come and say he has a broken foot or something and just ask for money and it would be approved. The circumstances would have to be examined. It would definitely depend on that.”
Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon was also questioned on   the issue at one of his weekly press conferences. He had articulated that there may be a provision that would permit the lending of monies for Cabinet members during a time of emergency.
Meanwhile, President Donald Ramotar continues to brush aside questions regarding the conditions for which the monies were given to Nandlall. He told media operatives at one of his press conferences to forget about the matter. But it still remains a pressing issue for citizens, the Diaspora and even international organizations who continue to call for the requisite sanctions to be leveled against the Minister.

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