Senior NIB officials put on leave

As of Tuesday, May 30, 2017

By Taneka Thompson

Tribune News Editor

SENIOR officials from the National Insurance Board have been told to take their take vacation leave effective today as the Minnis administration prepares to audit the government agency, well-placed sources confirmed to The Tribune yesterday.

This newspaper was also informed that Sir Baltron Bethel, senior policy advisor to former Prime Minister Perry Christie, has been sent home from the Office of the Prime Minister.

At the Nassau Insurance Board (NIB), Cecile Williams-Bethel, senior deputy director of operations, Theresa Burrows, NIB senior deputy director of business support and administration, and Dr Baldwin Carey were given letters on Monday asking them to take their vacations effective from today.

A fourth official said to be out of office yesterday — Deputy Director of IT Raymond Wells — also will be asked to take his vacation leave once he returns to office, The Tribune was reliably informed.

However there is no suggestion or proof that the officials in question engaged in any impropriety.

“The government is going to audit some areas, including NIB and some senior officers of the board were asked to take vacation until we address the issues, that’s not unusual,” a well placed source, who did not want to be named, said.

“That doesn’t mean that they are engaged or involved in anything, we just asked them to take vacation until (the audit is complete).”

The source could not say when the audit will begin.

As for Sir Baltron, this newspaper was told the decision to place him on leave was made because he is a political appointee hired to specifically advise Mr Christie.

Sir Baltron will not return to the Office of the Prime Minister, this newspaper was told.

In late 2012, the Christie administration launched a forensic investigation into allegations against then suspended NIB Director Algernon Cargill and fired NIB Chairman Gregory Moss.

It was later revealed that the probe cost the government $861,606.

Mr Cargill was fired from NIB in May 2013. In the midst of the controversy, he filed a lawsuit against Mr Moss and NIB.

Although several accusations were made against Mr Moss and Mr Cargill, no one ever faced any charges in connection with the allegations.

Earlier this month, the newly elected Minnis administration announced that forensic audits will take place on the Urban Renewal Department, the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute and the Bank of the Bahamas.

The statement also said audits will be carried out on other government ministries and programmes.

Minister of State for the Public Service and National Insurance Brensil Rolle could not be reached for comment yesterday.

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banker 7 years, 5 months ago

This is a good start !!! Let's hope some prosecutions result.

DDK 7 years, 5 months ago

Let's hope THE PEOPLE can afford the cost of the forensic audits! Wonder who will conduct them?

jackbnimble 7 years, 5 months ago

Lord they finally sent that old hag sir baltron home! Long flipp*n overdue!

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 5 months ago

Baltron "Bag Man" Bethel belongs in a Fox Hill cell !

The very thought of this most corrupt man collecting pension, health and other benefits off of the backs of honest, hardworking, and overburdened taxpayers is most repulsive to say the least. The new Minnis-led government should cease all of the very costly forensic audits if there is no intention of prosecuting (on the basis of evidence gathered) those who have so clearly abused the public trust for their own wrongful, illegal and unjust self-gain at the taxpayers expense.

Let's hope the local accounting firms have not been engaged to perform the very costly forensic audits. These same accounting firms have failed for many years now to detect during their annual audits and report on the many glaring instances of material corruption and fraud that has occurred at so many of our government owned and/or controlled entities, like Bank of The Bahamas, The National Insurance Fund, BEC/BPL, Bahamasair, ZNS, and so on.

Many of us are beginning to think Minnis wants these forensic audits done so when someone complains a year or two from now about irregularities within his own government, he can hold up a forensic report and say: "We met this problem. I have the forensic report to prove it. So don't blame it on my government"..... or better still ..."This ain't nothing new, I have the forensic report that says it was always done that way." WE DON'T WANT OR NEED A MASSIVE COSTLY CYA FORENSIC EXERCISE DR. MINNIS IF NONE OF THE BIG WIG CROOKS WILL END UP BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES." It's not enough for you to send them home or retire them so that they can enjoy their ill-gotten gains and also receive pension, heath and other benefits off of our already heavily burdened backs. 'It's the people's time' Dr. Minnis, and we fully expect you to make good on your most important promises to us!

TalRussell 7 years, 5 months ago

Comrades! It's a joke!
But a changing of the guard - out one colour political party's t-shirts ........ In different party's political appoints wearing new colours.
This exact same 'show n tell' message was the advance sermon of Papa Hubert's 1st, 2nd and 3rd red regime ..... and we all well knows what abuses continued tooks place over at NIB.
The same new set power political appoints people heading over to NIB, is to be appoint by the same reds - who talked so badly in opposition about VAT?
Shame on you, if you believe - It's the People's time!

proudloudandfnm 7 years, 5 months ago

I can't believe Baltron was still there. He mussee lost his mind. He knows he was just Perry's collection agent.

At least the FNM got the satisfaction of firing him. Now investigate him and prosecute him when you find proof of his corruption...

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 5 months ago

The Bag Man likely failed to submit his resignation or did so and Minnis was fool enough to leave him in the PM's office all this time thinking he would be helpful to the transition arrangements. You can bet the Bag Man used his continued access to the PM's office to destroy whatever sensitive evidence of illegal activities still remained. And now Minnis calls in a forensic audit team to try find the very evidence of illegal activities that he himself gave the Bag Man more time to shred or otherwise destroy. The foolishness here on the part of Minnis is baffling and at the very least calls into question whether he was the least bit sincere in saying that those who abused their political office and the public trust should have something to fear!

concernedcitizen 7 years, 5 months ago

What if he left the Bagman there w/ a camera that was placed by Minnis IT folks and the Bagman hanged himself on video ,actually do you really believe Bagman showed up one day after the 10 th and if so he was closely watched ..

OMG 7 years, 5 months ago

There is so much corruption and political favoritism to sort out that it is unreasonable to expect Minnis to do everything in a couple of weeks. God knows that when you start a new job it takes time to get settled in. This is a positive step and should, be applauded. B. Bethel was a leech and he anf many other cost this country a small fortune.

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago

I wonder why sir baltron would have reported to work on May 11?? Send in resignation, let the people know how to contact you if they need to. And I say that not because he's PLP and it's an FNM administration, he's waaaay beyond retirement age and he's fully aware he was only there due to his friendship with PM Christie.

banker 7 years, 5 months ago

I have had occasion to speak to the man on many occasions throughout the years. He was cognitively losing it as far back as 2007. Several colleagues, after talking to him, asked me if he was suffering from dementia years ago.

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago

Ok .. Well that would explain it, he didn't know where he was :-|

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 5 months ago

That's precisely what the wily 'ole fox said to the rooster when he walked into the chicken coop: "I don't know where I am, but I do know what to do!"

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago

Lol

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago

This is actually a very good way to ferret out fraudsters, or systems that are failing. Persons in critical positions can prop up processes so that abnormalities go undetected. Mandating that persons exit office for an extended period with zero contact is an established security control measure

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 5 months ago

You've been reading too many old school Auditor 101 Guides. Many persons are quite capable of working from their home today thanks to the advances in remote communication systems. I suspect Minnis and his IT people have yet to figure out how to deny the likes of the Bag Man access to the government's confusing myriad of computer systems!

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago

Sorry. I worked for one of these organizations and they're a little more imaginative than you suspect. So this is experience, not book learnin'. All of your rights would be revoked for the period. Zero access. No company email, no company phone, no company network access or system accounts, no logging in from home. Strict instructions not to contact the office.

It's actually very easy to do. No matter how many accounts you have, the first thing to do is disable network access. (I don't believe Sir Baltron is capable of hacking into anything). Can't get on the network can't access any systems. System access isn't much more difficult. The IT people at Finance are more than capable.

Now if you want to play smart and use your Grammy email or your cousin phone to ask a coworker to "fix" some transaction while you're out, that's on you. Just pray you're not caught.

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 5 months ago

I beg to disagree. You are ascribing, across the board, the qualities of well run computer systems usually found in the private sector to our government's many very poorly kept and uncoordinated IT systems.

concernedcitizen 7 years, 5 months ago

You seem to the think Minnis is brain damaged , did he not just pull off one of the largest election wins in our history w/ untold plots against him .Is he not a Doctor and an astute business man

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago

Ok so first I only read a book, now I'm projecting:) I'm actually not ascribing anything to them, I know some of the people. They're highly qualified and certainly capable of disabling network and system access. Does that mean everything always works perfectly? No. But it doesn't work perfectly in the best of companies. Did you see British Airways over the weekend? Remember the WhatsApp IT failure?

Your theory was they could access the system from home. That implies a network and user accounts. User accounts can be disabled. It's very easy. Those guys are installing servers, updating software, installing software. System access is the probably the easiest of their tasks. Now the discussion changes if you're talking about a superUser who can bypass controls...but I doubt that describes Sir Baltron.

Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 5 months ago

Do you have any idea how easy it is to leave backdoors of one kind or another into network servers and make use of freely available tools for remote access log tracking suppression? Bradley Roberts can pull up just about any Customs Dept. record he wants from his home and leave no trail doing so. The IT wizards within the PLP have been at work for the last 5 years. My iPhone is now more secure than most of the systems our government has in place.

ThisIsOurs 7 years, 5 months ago

Yes I do. I did say "*the discussion changes IF you're talking about a super user who can bypass controls...BUT this is about Sir Baltron*"...you know, the man who hit Reply All on the email describing how the government would work with CCA against Izmiriluan. I can see him sending an email to the entire Group saying "ok everyone I'm logged in now. Thanks". Lol

birdiestrachan 7 years, 5 months ago

I am sure Mr: Bethel would know he had to go, But the others I am not so sure.

birdiestrachan 7 years, 5 months ago

All of this talk about forensic audit. Just talk to make those who voted for them to believe they are doing something. They know there s nothing there. Because these fellows have no vision. they create smoke there is no fire. No vision as to how to carry this Country forward. The FNM has never done anything to carry the Bahamas or its people forward. never, ever.

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