Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne, who has been on the back of Government about the Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) Inc. housing projects, says as chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), he is awaiting a requested report from the Auditor General on the matter.
He was responding to yesterday’s SUNDAY SUN Page 1 story on a draft special audit report by the Auditor General’s Office.
While wrapping-up debate on the 2024 Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals in the House of Assembly in March last year, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mia Amor Mottley announced that she had ordered a “full investigation” into “every aspect” of the housing programme being executed by HOPE Inc., and that if any corruption was found there, it would be dealt with.
Shortage of staff
This was after Thorne, in his Budget Reply then, had raised several issues related to Government’s management of the economy and its spending, especially on the HOPE housing projects.
In a statement yesterday, the Opposition Leader said: “I cannot say whether the Prime Minister ordered a special audit. As chairman of the PAC, I requested a report in writing as to the HOPE matter and I had discussions with the Auditor General at a meeting of the PAC as to when the audit would become available. I am aware that the department suffers from a shortage of staff.”
Resolution
He added that by law, a special audit can be requested by a resolution of Parliament, a request from the PAC or by the Minister of Finance.
“I am not aware that Parliament passed any such resolution ….Irequesteda report and the timing of the investigation into the matter of HOPE was discussed at a meeting of the PAC and voted upon,” Thorne said.
“As to general reporting on Government’s spending, the Auditor General has a mandate to produce reports without being ‘ordered’ to produce those reports. The Auditor General is an independent body charged with the responsibility to produce reports on Government spending. I am awaiting the report on the HOPE matter as requested.”
In that March 2024 debate, Mottley said she would not prejudice the issue “because I have asked for a full investigation into every aspect of it”.
“There is no evidence of corruption before me at all today, but if the investigation I have asked for shows it, then we will deal with that too,” she added.
(MB)
