From Caribbean360

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Friday July 25, 2014, CMC – Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar Friday said she had asked her Attorney General Anand Ramloan to hand over copies of the audit of the controversial Lifesport programme to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Commissioner of Police “to investigate, detain and prosecute those guilty to the fullest extent of the law”.

Persad Bissessar told Parliament that the audit had revealed a number of discrepancies including procurement breaches; the involvement of some persons in criminal activities; fraud by suppliers; theft of equipment; breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act and a deviation from the mandates of Cabinet.

Former National Security Minister Austin Jack Warner, who described the programme as a “cess pool of corruption” said that in another country, the Minister of Sport, Anil Roberts would have resigned.

The main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) has filed a motion in the Parliament calling for the censure of Roberts as a result of the programme that they said was riddled with corruption.

Prime Minister Persad Bissessar, defending her government’s decision to launch the audit, said that in May, a newspaper publication brought to light allegations of wrong-doing and misuse of resources in the LifeSport programme.

“Based on the very real possibility of there being irregularities I immediately instructed that the programme be transferred to the Ministry of National Security, and that the Ministry of Finance and the Economy, through its Central Audit Committee, conduct a full audit.”

She told legislators that a thorough and focused audit has now been completed and that because the programme was intended to “positively impact some of our most vulnerable, younger citizens, I believe it is appropriate that the report of the Central Audit Unit on the LifeSport Programme be made public, by being tabled here in the House of Representatives”.

She said that the programme began in June 2012 and at the time of the audit, 43 centres had been established throughout the country to cater for young people between the ages of 16-25.

She said that the audit also raised questions regarding possible complicity by officers of the Ministry, given the widespread nature of the breaches.

“What is most shocking and disappointing, is the fact that given the usually stringent nature of the bureaucratic processes in obtaining approvals for projects, implementing programmes and monitoring progress, no action was taken to halt or prevent what the Audit Committee found”.

Persad Bissessar said that she was disappointed of having to immediately halt the programme because it was conceptualised and formulated as part of a comprehensive programme to try to roll back the tide against criminals and criminality in the country.

“It was specifically focused on saving the lives of young men who needed to be protected from the criminals who routinely preyed on them, and helping to shape positive futures for these young people.

“We see our young men as future fathers, future role models, future professionals, who need care, attention and opportunities.

“The criminals see them as pawns and as persons who could front crime and violence. To the criminal elements, these young men are a means to an end, and are, in their view expendable.”

She told legislators that given the fact that the Central Audit Committee has raised the possibility of complicity by Ministry officials, the report will be sent to the Integrity Commission and the Head of the Public Service for further investigation, consideration and action.

“Citizens of our country can rest assured that as we move forward implementing programmes meant to positively impact our communities, we will not tolerate wrong-doing, we will not tolerate corruption, and we will not tolerate the abuse of programmes meant to save our people, for selfish, personal gains.

“In fact, if there is one very important message coming out of this Audit Report is the urgent need for procurement laws to become fully operationalized,” said Persad Bissessar, who made no mention of her Sports Minister during her statement to Parliament.

IMAGE: kamla-persad-bissessar

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