Minority Leader: Tobagonians have right to see audit report

MINORITY Leader Kelvon Morris is demanding that Chief Secretary Farley Augustine make public the findings of the THA-commissioned audit report.

At Thursday’s plenary sitting in the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough, Augustine said the report of the audit into five initiatives undertaken during the term of the former PNM-led THA administration had been completed. He ordered the audit in January 2022.

Augustine said information on offences identified in the report has been sent to the Commissioner of Police, Fraud Squad, Financial Intelligence Unit, Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

But he stressed the report will not be made available to the Prime Minister and Minority Leader. Augustine said his colleagues in the assembly have not seen the report either.

In a WhatsApp message on Friday, Morris said Augustine must reconsider his decision not to make the report public.

“The Chief Secretary must remember that he is not the servant of himself. It was Tobagonians' money that was spent to carry out that audit and, therefore, every Tobagonian has a right to see the contents of the audit and come to their own reasonable conclusions,” he said.

Morris believes Augustine is using the audit as a lifeline.

“Tobagonians are simply absolutely fed up. He just simply needs to resign and go.”

He said the Chief Secretary has proven, yet again, he is not a man of his word and cannot be trusted.

Morris recalled when Augustine presented the preliminary findings of the audit into the road-resurfacing programme of the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development, last September, he gave a commitment to THA members and Tobagonians that he would make the findings public.

“Therefore, this sudden 360 spin is a further breach of the people of Tobago’s trust and a slap in the face of transparency, accountability and good governance.”

Retired head of the public service Reginald Dumas described the Chief Secretary’s position as “a little off,” and also believes Augustine should make the report public.

“These audits were paid for with public money, and I cannot logically understand how the results of the audit can be concealed from the public, which paid for them.”

Dumas said while he understands Augustine’s position from a political point of view, “There is also the governance point of view, and I am finding it a little difficult to wrap my head around this.”

He also feared the public money spent on the audit could also be perceived as being used in the interest of the political advancement of a particular party.

“That is the same principle that had come up in the audio tape controversy as to how public money would be used.”

He was referring to a recording in which two people said to be THA officials discussed spending public funds on party propaganda, to be spread via social media.

He said he would like to hear the public’s view on this issue.

At a public briefing last Friday, Augustine alleged an aggrieved contractor was responsible for the leaked audio recording.