The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC Accounts Committee chairman Hubert Chipman said he was “angered” that the PAC remained at a “disgusting” stalemate regarding its probe of Urban Renewal’s operations as he suggested that House Speaker Dr Kendal had prevented the work from progressing.

According to Mr Chipman, the PAC forwarded to Chief House Clerk Maurice Tynes new summonses to be signed and served on Urban Renewal Co-Chairs Cynthia “Mother” Pratt and Algernon Allen for them to appear before the committee.

However, the St Anne’s MP said in seeking counsel from Dr Major, Mr Tynes was told to “hold off” on sending the co-chairs the orders to appear. These documents would have compelled Mrs Pratt and Mr Allen to appear before the committee on Thursday.

If the PAC cannot move past interviewing the co-chairs, Mr Chipman said the group would reconsider taking the matter before the courts.

While Dr Major declined to comment on internal House matters, he told The Tribune yesterday that he had absolutely nothing to do with the PAC’s inability to move forward with this probe.

He said it was simply a matter of allowing the government the opportunity to table Auditor General Terrence Bastian’s report into the programme so that the PAC could have what it needs to proceed.

In May, Dr Major ordered the PAC to “stay its hand” in investigating Urban Renewal until Parliament could decide on a way forward. At the time, he expressed optimism that the government would table the report in the House of Assembly.

However, Mr Chipman has since vowed that the PAC would continue its work despite the Speaker’s order. Dr Major has said he gave the order because there were several procedural errors prevalent in the case.

He questioned why the PAC would attempt to move forward if he had already ruled on the matter.

Dr Major said: “Because I am serving as Speaker anything relating to committees of the House, they would fall under my jurisdiction. All committees were formed and appointed by the Speaker that is just the nature of House parliamentary business.

“So the Speaker allows them to do their work until there is a difficulty and that is how I intervened seeking recourse. I want to make it clear that I am not just poking my nose into the PAC’s work.

“I made a ruling asking the PAC to stay their hand to allow the government to make a determination on when the report would be tabled properly so they could utilise it. We are waiting for the government to make the report available and that is all I will say about it. Until such time the PAC should do other work or additional work.

“I don’t know about anything else.”

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Chipman said he found it “ridiculous” that the government was attempting to downplay the power of the PAC.

“All this talk about this law and that law, but the fact remains that the PAC can probe any entity that receives public funds, which Urban Renewal does and the power to summon all and sundry remains with the committee,” Mr Chipman said.

The PAC previously asked Mr Bastian to investigate Urban Renewal and its Small Homes Repair Programme. His report found numerous areas of concern and weaknesses related to management and expenditure.

After the report was leaked to the media earlier this year, Mr Allen and Mrs Pratt refused to appear for a scheduled hearing of the PAC. They said the audit had not gone through the proper parliamentary procedure and was therefore illegal. The co-chairs said they would appear at an appropriate time, once the audit was off the table of questioning.

In his 2015/2016 budget debate communication, which was disseminated to the media but not delivered in the House of Assembly, Works Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said he would table the auditor general’s report after the budget process was completed.

It is unclear when this will happen.