REO ejected from Parliament Chambers for ‘lying’ to PAC on overpayment issue

Feb 21, 2017 News

…says it was an oversight

By Brushell Blackman
The Regional Executive Officer of Region one, Barima-Waini, Leslie Wilburg was ejected from Parliament Chambers yesterday for lying to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC); it is likely that he will now be sanctioned.

REO of Region One, Leslie Wilburg, sitting in the waiting room at parliament after being expelled from the chambers.

Wilburg was at the time responding to questions from the PAC about overpayment to the value of $30M made to eight contractors between 2010 and 2011.
Wilburg said that the contractors were written to in March 2016, informing them about the monies owed and that failure to repay would result in legal action being taken to recoup the funds.
According to Wilburg, the contractors did not respond and no legal action was taken. When more clarity was sought by the committee on the issue, the REO was not clear in his response and he was pressed further.
PAC Chairman Irfaan Ali at this point started to become impatient with Wilburg’s responses, “REO you have overpayment of $30M and you will address this based on the magnitude of the problem that is before you”.
The Chairman told Wilburg he did not want to know about letters that were written to the contractors, but rather, he should tell the committee all that has happened: what is the current status on the matter and who should be sanctioned. The Chairman wanted to know if any of the contractors were still under the employ of that region.
“REO, are any of these persons who were overpaid still working with the region?” Ali asked. Wilburg responded “No sir”. Ali asked again, “Are you absolutely sure?”, “Yes sir,” Wilburg replied.
In his defence, Wilburg said that he has sent several reminders to the contractors but is still awaiting a response. Further, the REO said that he sought legal advice from Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communities, Emile McGarrel.
It was at this juncture that the interaction with the REO and the PAC started to spiral in the wrong direction. Through PS McGarrel, the PAC found out that the REO had simply carbon copied a letter he had sent to the contractors to the PS, but had not actually sought legal advice from that Ministry.
PAC member Nigel Dharamlall said that it was clear the REO was not forthcoming with the PAC – and had also misled the Auditor General who found the deficiencies in his region – so he could safeguard himself.
Chairman Ali said that Wilburg was trying to hide behind the PS, but stressed that such will not be tolerated. The Chairman again asked the REO if any of the contractors are still working with the region, and that he should think carefully about his response, because the PAC would do its independent check to verify that these contractors are indeed no longer doing work for that region.
Realizing that he needed to be forthcoming, based on what he heard, the REO admitted that two of the contractors that were overpaid still work for the region.
Rhetorically, Ali asked “Two of them still working with the region?” the REO replied “Yes sir”. “REO please leave the chambers,” the Chairman stated.
Realizing he was now in hot water, Wilburg attempted to explain. But Ali was having none of it, again he stated “REO, please leave the chambers, I don’t know what you are waiting for”.
Wilburg was visibly shocked and couldn’t bring himself to leave a very silent chamber. However he eventually calmly left the chambers. He was not allowed back in for the duration of the session.
When Kaieteur News spoke with the REO he said “I did not lie, it was an oversight on my part, and I hope you guys see with me”.
Back inside the chambers, Chairman Ali said he had given the REO many opportunities to come straight with the committee, but he continuously lied. The committee then decided that Financial Secretariat will be written to for appropriate sanctions to be imposed.