Chief Secretary: THA audit report sent to police, DPP, not PM, Minority

CHIEF Secretary Farley Augustine has revealed that the offences highlighted in the THA-commissioned audit report have been forwarded to the Commissioner of Police, Fraud Squad, Financial Investigations Unit, Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau and Director of Public Prosecutions.

But he made it clear the report would not be made public.

“Learning from the historical lessons of the Scott Drug Report….right up to Landate, I will not be making the report public, nor will I be laying it in the House, and I will not be giving a copy to the Minority (Leader) nor the Prime Minister,” he said while delivering a statement at Thursday’s plenary sitting in the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough.

Augustine explained the reason for this decision.

“This report will be needed to advance civil and criminal court matters, and I will not want those culpable to get away on a technicality as Landate did.

“Madam Presiding Officer (Abby Taylor), it will appear that those opposite will like the opportunity to warn their friends and to have the report thrown out of court on a technicality.”

He said as line secretary for the report, he has not even given members of the executive copies.

Augustine added only “a literal handful of public servants, who shall remain nameless at this point, have been privy to the report, and it is under lock and key.”

He said only the Fraud Squad had, to date, acknowledged receipt of the report.

Augustine’s statement came less than a week after he alleged a contractor was responsible for the leaked audio recording of a discussion at a THA meeting.

At a plenary sitting on January 27, 2022, Augustine ordered forensic audits into five initiatives managed under the former PNM-led THA administration during the period October 2019-November 2021.

The initiatives were the emergency restoration works programme; the road restoration programme; the road resurfacing programme; the emergency infrastructure rehabilitation project and the agricultural access roads programme.

Augustine revealed on Thursday the audits had been completed.

He said, based on its preliminary findings, one contracted officer had already been fired and a public officer had been suspended.

He said the THA intended to take all steps to ensure those who were found guilty were held accountable.

“I will ensure, despite efforts to intimidate, drive fear, telling untruths to defame my character, to extort, that those responsible for stealing from the THA purse will be held accountable.

“And Madam Presiding Officer, they will be held accountable in the same manner, in the same way that those responsible for the Piarco Airport fiasco are being held accountable now.

“We will carefully dot our I’s and cross our T’s. We will take every action possible against those who are culpable. Chief ad(ministrator) or no chief ad, it will happen.”

Augustine believes the “actions” with the audit report have “intensified the efforts from Trinidad to interfere in the governance of Tobago.”

He added, “Perhaps with the passing of Dr (Jefferson) Davidson, every Tobagonian should read his book on PNM versus Tobago. It has always been PNM versus Tobago. It has always been that way.”

Davidson, a former THA chairman, died on June 11 at 95.

Augustine claimed since the PNM was “pushed out of the corridors in Tobago (after its heavy defeat in the December 6, 2021, THA elections), they have been doing everything possible and impossible to disrespect Tobagonians, to disrespect the THA and its elected officials and to disrespect the laws governing the THA.”

He accused the party, “in the most hypocritical fashion,” of trying to “delay and destroy development gains on the island.”

Augustine urged Tobagonians to fight for the island's development.