Auditor General's Office looking into Minnis administration's pandemic spending

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

AUDITOR General Terrance Bastian says his office is in the beginning steps of looking into the former Minnis administration’s pandemic spending, particularly the food programme.

He stressed that during an Office of the Prime Minister’s press briefing Friday that it was a “must” to probe government expenditure at the height of the virus outbreak.

Last month, Financial Secretary Simon Wilson said finance experts had been challenged in gleaning the necessary information to determine a true picture of the former Minnis administration’s COVID-19 emergency spending.

However, Mr Bastian noted in response to a question from The Tribune during the briefing that his office has already started to gather files in relation to the issue.

“Yeah, that’s a must,” he said when asked if there were plans to look into pandemic spending.

"We are looking at it as I stand here. We’ve been requesting information from the beginning such as we have some files in office now that we would’ve requested on the food programme.

“So, we are checking into it and it’s our duty to make sure we know exactly how the money is spent so we are looking at that, some of that.”

Asked if there was anything in particular that was a concern, he said: “No, I don’t have anything to report now if it’s a particular concern we just want to make sure that everything is OK.”

Mr Bastian also spoke about compliance with his office by ministries, saying it had improved.

However, he said people should be held accountable in instances where it is found that rules were not followed.

“I think there is a word that’s called accountability,” Mr Bastian said. “A part of the role of the auditor general is to ensure that we get good governance and it’s going to trickle down where I get to accountability.

“Good governance means that there must be transparency and accountability. Accountability would mean that if someone is responsible for doing something they’re commended and if they’re responsible for doing something that they should not do they get what they need to get.

“I think when we make people accountable, I think we get more results so accountability, in other words, if there is a penalty the penalty can be enforced.”

As far as penalties are concerned, he said, the Office of the Auditor General can only make recommendations.

Additionally, he said several entities were in the final stages of audits including civil aviation, the port department, Met office, Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and some others.

An audit of the Bahamas Customs Department was expected to be completed Friday.

Comments

ThisIsOurs says...

what did we pay for the software and did it ever work? From the public accounts it was just abandoned. The company then got another no-bid contract all while we had a 30million dollar **loan** to build capacity to do the exact same thing..build forms. How did that happen?

Posted 26 February 2022, 9:18 a.m. Suggest removal

Emilio26 says...

Tribanon it seems like every politician in your eyesight is crooked or corrupt.

Posted 28 February 2022, 9:48 a.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

Give me your list of the honest and competent ones who truly care about the well being of the Bahamian people.

Posted 28 February 2022, 12:28 p.m. Suggest removal

LastManStanding says...

Are we going to have five years of Brave them doing nothing but digging up dirt on Minnis?

Posted 26 February 2022, 11:19 a.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

Seems so, LastMan ................. AUG Bastain needs to recommend that his findings be taken before the PAC .............. Will Pintard & Co honestly deal with it???

The issue is not the work of the AUG .......... the real issue is the filibuster & dysfunction of Parliament

Posted 27 February 2022, 11:12 a.m. Suggest removal

carltonr61 says...

The logic around the world if followed here will show in house quick millionaires out the chaos, poverty, dependency, desperation, social despair and economic destruction by our covid response. The guilty will blame PAHO orders.

Posted 1 March 2022, 11:55 a.m. Suggest removal

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