Carrington: CEO has TRHA audit

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

The findings of the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) independent payroll audit are yet to be made public, despite Health Secretary Dr Agatha Carrington on July 24 saying information on the completed report "can be provided very promptly."

Carrington had also said she didn't "anticipate that it would be anything private."

Questions were again asked about the completed audit at Wednesday’s post-Executive Council news conference at the Division of Tourism, Culture and Transportation in Sangster’s Hill, Scarborough.

On why the report was not made public as yet, Carrington said, “I was hoping that as well. It need not take as long. My understanding is that there was a challenge in terms of some reconsolidation that was expected to be done between the TRHA and other agencies with which it transacts, and that had to be verified before.”

She said she did not have the information at present.

"I am aware that the CEO (Sheldon Cyrus) has the report in his possession. I understand that he is going to approach the (TRHA) board with respect to his recommendations. As you would know, I don’t have the direct information in terms of what his recommendations would be, but that has been presented to him.

"I understand (at) the next board meeting, which would be within the next week I think, he would make his recommendations.”

On March 20, the division issued a press release saying the TRHA was engaging an independent payroll audit team. Given the high level of independence required for the review process, it said, some members of staff in the finance, human resources and information technology departments were sent on administrative leave with full pay and benefits.

Questioned on whether she had seen the audited report, Carrington said: “I am not expected to...The preliminary report I have a sense of, but I don’t know what has happened between what I saw and what the CEO is putting together.”

On any legal action or lawsuit actions to be filed, she expressed uncertainty.

“I can’t say yet. When the CEO does the recommendation based on the raw information he has, he has to say, 'Look, this is what I recommend.'

"I do not know what persons who are involved would do.”