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SOCU launches criminal probe into NFMU
The Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) has begun investigating the National Frequency Management
Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes
Unit (NFMU). This was revealed by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes.
Hughes told Kaieteur News that she has handed over the Audit Report on the NFMU as well as the Unit’s response to the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
She also said, “SOCU has paid a visit to our ministry to look at the information. So we are awaiting a response on that front.”
Hughes continues, “It is really out of the hands of our Ministry. `I am neither an attorney nor a forensic accountant. So to answer your question, no we don’t have a conclusion yet.”
Over a month ago, Hughes told Kaieteur News that she was actively seeking legal advice on how to deal with the findings of a forensic audit into the affairs of NFMU and the responses given by those implicated.
Hughes said that Head of the NFMU, Valmiki Singh, had furnished her with a statement in an effort to set the record straight on a number of shady actions that implicated him during his management of the Unit. Hughes said that based on Singh’s response she decided to get advice as to whether “criminal charges may or may not need to be laid based on the findings of the audit.”
However, Hughes recently said that she is yet to receive the advice she sought. Based on the impression conveyed, Hughes will not be making any decision on the fate of Singh. “It is out of the hands of our Ministry.”
Kaieteur News was told the SOCU will be using the report done by auditors attached to Ram and McRae, Chartered Accountants, as a guide in its investigation.
The NFMU forensic audit report had cited numerous areas where Singh was found in breach of financial laws.
Based on its examination of the employees’ personal records at NFMU, forensic auditors found for example, that there was “gross abuse” by Singh, regarding the annual leave system.
NFMU Head,
Valmiki Singh
In the audit report, the forensic team from Ram and McRae said that records show that Singh sought and obtained payment for leave not taken over an 11-year period.
The auditors noted that the NFMU Head did so less than two weeks before the May 11, 2015 elections. At that time, they said that he wrote a letter to Dr. Roger Luncheon, former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, requesting payment for what he claimed to be 326 leave days accumulated over the years between January 2004 and December 2014.
They said that attached to the letter was a computation of Mr. Singh’s outstanding leave days which was prepared by the NFMU’s Finance Controller.
The auditors however, noted that the unavailability of documented application and approval of the leave carryover prevented any effort to verify the accuracy of the number of accumulated leave days.
The forensic auditing team said that under the Public Service Rules, leave may be deferred and added to the following year’s vacation. The deferral was “required in writing”.
Dr. Luncheon approved Mr. Singh’s request via letter dated April 30, 2015 and a total of $6.7 million was remitted to Mr. Singh after income tax; a total of $2.9 million was deducted from the gross amount of $9.6 million.
In another instance, it appeared as though Singh thought that he had more power than was actually allocated to him as Head of the National Frequency Management Unit. Auditors said that perhaps, the organisational structure of the entity contributed to him acting outside of his authority in various instances.
The auditors noted that while the Minister who has oversight for the NFMU, is the person designated to determine the remuneration of persons employed, after consultation with the relevant union, Singh who was only the Managing Director, arbitrarily determined the salaries of his workers.
The auditors noted that Singh acted ultra vires, that is, outside of his legal power in many instances including establishing remuneration packages for employees.
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