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Auditor General’s actions

Jun 29, 2012 Letters

Dear Editor,
I refer to the recent action by the Auditor General who supplied 11 names to the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament of persons in the Audit Office who were acting, to be confirmed.
The public [letter writers], the newspapers and Transparency InstituteGuyana Inc. have all written on the matter of the appointment as Audit Director of Dr. Ashni Singh’s wife and what a significant conflict of interest it establishes which will undermine public confidence in the impartiality and independence of the Audit Office.
I have told Dr. Singh before, that Mrs Singh is well qualified and she could apply for some other position in Government where her presence does not create a conflict of interest.
I want to acknowledge the excellent letter written by MrEarl John who has pointed out that this matter was passed by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament without complying with the law and I completely agree with him.
There is one important dimension to this matter which I have not seen ventilated and it is this. Mr Sharma is the acting Auditor General because he does not have the requisite qualifications to occupy that position, according to the law.
By virtue of this fact it establishes a chain reaction of many other acting appointments below him, including a person who is acting in his substantial position, notwithstanding that they meet the qualification criteria as set out in the law, in voting to confirm persons to these positions not only has the PPP members of the Public Accounts Committee violated the law but they are in fact appointing Sharma to the position of Auditor General since one of the people appointed is filling his position as Audit Director. This alone negates this entire action.
The 11 persons who are acting cannot thereforebe conformed unless we address the matter of Mr. Sharma’s acting as Auditor General. When we appoint a substantive Auditor General Mr. Sharma will be returned to his substantive position, and only then can we attempt to fill all the other positions his acting upwards creates.
The PPP’s determination to have Sharma as acting Auditor General and Ashni Singh’s wife confirmed in the Audit Office raises serious questions about their agenda in doing so, in view of these facts one can only draw the most adverse inferences about the PPP’s commitment to transparency, and the fear of exposure of corruption in Government which is becoming clearer daily compliments of our private media and the new Parliamentary Dispensation.
Tony Vieira
Former member of the
PAC.

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