The “custody” of 21 cellphones purchased by the former justice ministry—which dealt with prisons and related matters—could not be determined after purchase, according to the latest Auditor General’s report. The report was laid in Parliament on Tuesday. It covers October 2014 to September 20
On the cellphone issue in the former justice ministry, the report stated information relating to the 21 cellphones purchased during 2014-2015 at a cost of $102,342.99 was not recorded in the inventory register in accordance with financial regulations. The report noted that the “custody of these items could not be determined.”
There were also issues with examination of the accounting records of the Maximum Security Prison. The report stated access to accounting records of the Maximum Security Prison was arranged on two occasions but was not effected by the prison authorities. The Auditor General stated that was “direct contravention” of the law.
Documents concerning 12 areas of Prisons Service and related matters, including contracts, overpayments, vacant posts, personal files, were not provided for audit examination.
The justice ministry also failed to produce documents for audit examination concerning a $33 million contract for construction of a perimeter fence and infrastructural works at the Maximin Security Prison.
The ministry also didn’t provide the valuation report for acquisition of a property at Santa Rosa, Arima, projected to be a “pre-release centre and/or functional prison,” at a cost of $170 million.
In the Police Service, the report stated Cabinet approval was not seen for the hiring of 163 people on two-year contracts with monthly emoluments totalling $2.3 million. Also noted were 296 cases of overpayment, totalling $2.2million, which were not reported. The Auditor General noted the inventory registers at two stations were not properly maintained and “pertinent information was not “recorded or was done incorrectly.”
The report said urgent attention needed to be paid to strengthening internal controls at police stations to ensure completeness of revenue.