Auditor General to investigate NDIA fraud allegations

Oct 18, 2012 News

A leaked audit report that recommended the firing of Lionel Wordsworth, Head of National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), has the attention of Auditor General (ag), Deodat Sharma.
The state auditor, responding to questions yesterday, said that while he has not received a copy of the field audit report, he is highly interested in it.

Auditor General (ag), Deodat Sharma

Sharma is waiting on the Chairman of NDIA Board to send a copy to his office for investigations to commence. Currently, the Auditor General’s office is treating reports in the Kaieteur News over the weekend as allegations.
Under the laws, the Auditor General and his office, an independent body, can descend without notice on state agencies and carry out checks. However, there have been criticisms whether the office has really been fulfilling its mandate.
According to Sharma, he will have to investigate the claims in the report because the Ministry of Agriculture is one of the entities the Auditor General’s office is responsible for. He explained that field audit reports submitted to the Audit Committee of NDIA Board are sent to the Auditor General.
Sharma was unable to reveal if the Auditor General’s office discovered any discrepancies in the operations of NDIA whilst compiling the 2011 Auditor General Report. He said that the details of that report will be revealed when the Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, lays it in Parliament.
The field audit report on the operations of NDIA revealed what appeared to be instances of fraud and conflict of interest, including sole sourcing of services for the supply of fuel. The report recommended the dismissal of Wordsworth and Senior Section Engineer, Aneel Chowbay.
The audit report on fuel consumption and equipment operations and maintenance was conducted between May and September. NDIA is charged with managing the conservancies in Guyana.
The report was completed and submitted to the Chairman of the NDIA Board of Directors on September 26. It was also copied to President Donald Ramotar…a fact that came under fire from the Agriculture Ministry.
Following the publication of some key details of the report in Kaieteur News, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy defended Wordsworth and Chowbay and the operations of the entity.
The report concluded that fraudulent acts were committed by Wordsworth and Chowbay, in breach of the Procurement Act 2003.
The Ministry of Agriculture, in attacking its own Field Auditor, said he is not performing creditably.
The NDIA described the report as unsubstantiated and prepared by a person who has a personal agenda. He accused this newspaper of not checking the facts.

NDIA’s CEO, Lionel Wordsworth

“The Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) wishes to make clear that the statements contained in the Kaieteur Newspaper article dated Sunday, October 14, 2012 titled ‘Audit Report recommends dismissal of NDIA boss Lionel Wordsworth and Senior Engineer Aneel Chowbay’ are misleading and inaccurate and only represent the interest of someone with a personal agenda.”