Inshan's attorney writes to Auditor General to audit police accounts

The attorney for businessman Inshan Ishmael has written to Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass for a audit of the police’s financial records in his ongoing battle for payment he said is owed to him.

Ishmael sued the State to recover the money owed to him for vehicle maintenance work his company, ROC, did for the police.

His attorney, Richard Jaggasar wrote to Ramdass on February 7, after it was proposed by the judge hearing Ishmael’s lawsuit.

In July 2024, the State entered a consent order agreeing to pay Ishmael $834,405.21 and pre-judgment interest of $20,556.34 before Justice Carol Gobin.

Initially, he sought $1,887,665.36, which he said was owed, or $2,080,232.58 as special damages for breach of contract.

In a reconciliation exercise, the police’s finance branch showed the total sum of estimates, invoices and quotations by ROC was $1,801,225.34, of which $966,820.13 had been paid. The legal unit gave the outstanding balance as $834,405.21.

But Ishmael contends money is still owed to him.

Gobin asked the parties to consider whether an audit of the police’s accounts for 2018-2021 would be of benefit in determining the factual dispute.

At a hearing on January 31, attorneys for the police said the only authorised entity to review its financial books was the office of the Auditor General.

Depending on the Auditor General’s response, a private auditor is likely to be approved by the court.

On the issue of the audit, attorneys for the commissioner in correspondence to the court said, “We are instructed that the Commissioner of Police does not wish to interrupt the Auditor General’s ordinary operations under her constitutional mandate and further, the records to be audited in this matter would not fall within the current annual period.

“Commissioner has further instructed that the claimant is free to approach the Auditor General for the audit, but not on a consent basis.”

The police’s attorneys maintained it was for Ishmael to prove there was additional money outstanding.

The matter is expected to come up again for hearing in March.