Opposition and Government at odds over Public Accounts Committee

Nov 15, 2012 News

Shadow Finance Minister for A Partnership for National Unity, Carl Greenidge, yesterday at a press conference said that the government has taken offence to a letter which was sent to local, regional and international oversight bodies for Chartered Accountants, alleging the possible conflict of interest between the Finance Minister and his wife’s appointment at the Audit Office.
Greenidge yesterday said that during the 10th Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting on November 5, last, Government’s Chief Whip Gail Teixeira complained about the inclusion of the name of the wife of Dr. Ashni Singh in a letter. The letter was sent by Greenidge, who is the Chairman of the PAC.
According to Greenidge the letter requested guidance from the Guyana, Caribbean and international institutes regarding their codes of ethics and possible conflict of interest arising from the appointment of Mrs. Singh to the post of Director in the Audit Office given that her husband is the Minister of Finance. APNU is contending that the material she would be required to audit directly or through colleagues pertain to agencies for which her husband has policy responsibility.
In this view Greenidge, said that a strong conflict of interest would be involved in Mrs. Singh operating at such a senior level in auditing the accounts of bodies for which her husband has Ministerial and policy responsibility.
He said that apparently, the PPP/C did not want the source of the conflict mentioned in the letter and also claimed that there were inaccuracies in the letter.
The shadow minister added that it was clear that without the specific names being provided to the oversight bodies, they are unlikely to be in a position to offer advice on this very special and controversial case at a time when the Government is embroiled in accusations about corruption and there are calls for special audits for entities such as NICIL and AHL.
He said that these entities have failed to account for billions of dollars which have been in their keeping.
“Mrs. Singh’s promotion to the number two position in the Office of the Auditor General was sought by the acting Auditor General, Mr’. Deodat Sharma, and was facilitated by on the unexpected and temporary PPP/C majority on the body resulting from the sudden and unannounced absence of the AFC representative Mr. Trevor Williams, Greenidge stated yesterday.
He added that the decisions of the PAC are by tradition based on a consensus among the parties especially in the face of politically sensitive matters such as appointments where the parties need to have confidence in the impartiality and professionalism of the officers.
Greenidge said that the National Assembly can be expected to look at the matter in a few weeks’ time when a full report of the PAC deliberations as well as the views of the Standing Order committee should be considered.
In the interim staff members have been appointed by the AG who has since been confirmed by the PPP regime, he said. He said that APNU continues to view with concern and to resist attempts by the PPP/C regime to make sweetheart appointments.
Where the PPPC is not sure of the loyalty or is concerned that officers might be too independent, it uses the device of having them act interminably or kept to short contracts.
Greenidge said that this is a means of keeping those officers in line and the PPP/C is currently on a drive to protect itself from investigation of fraudulent behaviour and possible prosecution for corruption. Guyana is currently ranked as the most corrupt regime in the Caribbean and the second most corrupt in the entire Latin America and Caribbean region.

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Opposition and Government at odds over Public Accounts Committee

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