PDP deputy demands probe: 'I was right about food cards'

Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) deputy political leader Farley Augustine has called on the police to start an investigation into alleged food card fraud in the Tobago House of Assembly.

Augustine was responding to questions from Newsday following the Auditor General's report on the island's public accounts, for October 2019 to September 2020, which has unearthed discrepancies in several divisions.

The report addressed the THA’s handling of state-funded covid19 relief including rental assistance, food hampers valued $658,430 and $7.8 million worth of food cards.

According to the report, the THA’s Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development received covid19 food hampers and vouchers totalling $658,430.

The auditor general’s department also noted discrepancies with respect to covid19 food card releases, which were managed by the Division of Finance and the Economy. It said at the onset of the pandemic, an executive council minute, dated March 25, 2020, authorised the purchase of 15,000 food cards for the Emergency Social Assistance Cards Programme at a total cost of $7,866,000, to augment the existing programme.

The report raised red flags about accountability and the lack of documentation to be certain the food cards – paid for by taxpayers – reached the intended targets.

Former PNM assemblyman Sheldon Cunningham had raised the issue in 2020 saying: "Please let us do this right. You can't be giving out cards to people without documentation."

He said declaration forms had not been signed and the issue had been reported to Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis.

"I hope this is dealt with quickly because we don't want this to be a thorn in thistle later on," Cunningham said.

However, Dennis on May 26 called for more evidence from Cunningham after analysing his initial complaint.

Dennis said, "Allegations are only allegations until facts and evidence are provided...I also spoke to an individual who was in receipt of a food card and so far, I have found that there is no evidence to suggest that the process was fraudulent or corrupt in anyway.”

Augustine on Monday questioned how thorough Dennis' investigation was.

"It shows there was no real investigation."

"I had raised the issue where political hacks were giving out food cards willy-nilly. I raised the issue that food cards were part of the the PNM campaign machinery like if the funds came from Balisier House," Augustine said.

"The auditor general report showed I was right, Cunningham was right and there was no real investigation."

Augustine said the police should now get involved to conduct their own probe and let the chips fall where they may.

He lamented the lack of accountability within the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) owing to the 6-6 stalemate caused by the tied January 25 THA election.

He said the covid19 pandemic has caused a social services crisis which the THA has failed to address properly.

"There should have been a careful assessment of people's needs. Instead, food cards were used as election machinery."

He warned that with the pandemic still raging and social support ongoing, "the next auditor general report will show something much more egregious."

He advised: “The way to address this is to ensure that there is equity. If the policy is that assemblymen give out food cards in their districts, then all 12 assemblymen must have equal access to the facility – but that in itself is not the best approach.

"The best approach is to allow the social workers to professionally assess people’s needs and give to those who are truly in need.”

On his Facebook page earlier, Augustine said: “What is the use of our social workers if we don’t allow them to do their jobs? When we allow our political motives to drive social welfare the people who are really in need don’t get the help they need.

“Now we might be getting a clearer picture about why a resolution to the 6:6 stalemate isn’t desired. This madness can now go on unfettered...Covid is not the worse thing happening to Tobago right now.”

Responding to questions during a recent news conference, Health Secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine said the improvement of systems within the THA is ongoing.

“It’s a work in process,” she said.

The secretary thanked the auditor general for the findings and for indicating any weaknesses that exists in the respective divisions throughout the assembly.

“One of the things I know for certain is that the administration – and I am not solely talking about the political administration treating with the setting of policies, but I am talking about the administration in general – have embarked on several approaches to tighten the gaps in the accounting systems at this time. Of course, all would not be perfect...

“It is a work in progress; of course, we would attempt to strive for perfection in terms of dealing with those systems but at the same time, the information is that the THA is working towards ironing out those gaps that currently exist within our internal control systems.”

In a press release on Monday, her division added that it must strive for perfection.

It said that out of almost 2,000 transactions of rental assistance processed, there were two instances, in the report, where two pieces of documents were not seen.

“Of course, the manual method of reporting has its own unique set of challenges. All throughout the covid19 pandemic, the (division's) officials were available for questions and clarification and have repeatedly provided the public with information on the quantity, value and number of persons who have received food and rental assistance.”

It added that the division accounted for all hampers and food vouchers distributed within the covid19 period in question.

“The number in the time frame of the audit was 1,197 individual assistance at a value of $658,410. There were 797 food vouchers and 400 food hampers given out. All records are lodged in the division at this time.”

It said that the Office of the Secretary is often engaged in the distribution of hampers and vouchers as the division’s policy is very clear and the application forms go through a verification procedure resulting in the distribution of a voucher ranging from $500 to $800.

“No applicant is required to be interviewed by a senior social worker. Hampers in the form of vouchers were also given to organisations such as the Blind Welfare Association, amongst 20 other NGOs, to distribute to the people they serve, who were in need.”

It said that the division is satisfied that the vouchers distributed were able to bring relief to single mothers, families, and others who experienced hardship during the pandemic.

Deputy Chief Secretary and Secretary of Finance and the Economy Joel Jack could not be reached for comment.

Dennis said he would respond via a press release on Tuesday.