The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday accused Public Accounts Committee Chairman Hubert Chipman of botching his position since his appointment to the post.

Mr Chipman told reporters on Thursday, after hearing testimony from the co-chairs of Urban Renewal 2.0, that it is clear that the programme is “disjointed” and expressed amazement that while “a lot of money” is channelled through Urban Renewal, Co-chairs Algernon Allen and Cynthia “Mother” Pratt do not have “any responsibility” for the funds.

Mr Roberts addressed the remarks in a statement on Sunday when he accused Mr Chipman of having “botched the administration of the PAC”.

However, Mr Chipman shot back at Mr Roberts yesterday, saying the chairman’s comments were “misguided” and unwarranted. He stressed that the PAC’s investigation thus far has uncovered that public funds may have been wasted.

“Everything he (Mr Chipman) said to the media that he claimed was a surprise or ‘interesting’ was public knowledge,” Mr Roberts said in a press release.

“Chipman is reminded that the intent of the statutory Public Accounts Committee is to promote accountability and transparency in the governance of our country, not to be used as some witch hunt tool to further the selfish and narrow political agenda of Mr Chipman and the FNM.”

He also suggested that if Mr Chipman wanted the truth about Urban Renewal, he should have spoken with the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works and Urban Development.

“So there are no ‘unanswered questions’ as Chipman is suggesting in the media, he simply refused to look in the right places to get the correct answers because he has absolutely no interest in the truth. His intent apparently is to mislead the public and promote ignorance in the public domain and in so doing, make a total mockery of the instrument of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).”

In response, Mr Chipman said the PAC’s investigation thus far has been thorough and many witnesses have been interviewed.

“Additionally the committee has had to consider reams of documents, including bank records, the reports of the auditor general and the separate report requisitioned by the Ministry of Works and notably correspondence emanating from the Ministry of Finance questioning deficiencies in record keeping and compliance with the Financial Administration and Audit Act.

“The preliminary observations of the committee echoed by the chairman show that there was a complete absence of systems and organisation within Urban Renewal. In addition, testimony regarding the Small Homes Repair project – the stated aim of which is to aid the poor, elderly and disabled – suggests public funds may have been wasted and in many cases, the objectives of the programme were not fulfilled.

“Far from being a witch hunt as Bradley Roberts suggests, the enquiries of the Public Accounts Committee have been the most fulsome and in depth.

The committee has been keen to ensure that all relevant voices have had an opportunity to be heard; and its deliberations are continuing.

“Once again, Bradley Roberts has demonstrated his unyielding capacity for foot in mouth disease. His penchant for acting without thinking is unrivalled,” Mr Chipman said.

An audit by Auditor General Terrance Bastian found that among other issues, 11 contractors were paid more than $170,000 for small home repairs they had not completed or done. The government later commissioned an independent study, which contradicted this report and found that the programme did receive value for money.