The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell was adamant yesterday there was no “legal impropriety” committed by anyone the day after audits noted there had been “excessive” overtime pay and “exorbitant” spending at some Bahamas embassies and foreign missions in various countries.

Several audit reports were tabled in the House of Assembly on Wednesday looking into operations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ offices abroad highlighting apparent loose protocols.

“I am laughing my head off at the nonsense and the preoccupation with matters that are de minimis in the larger scheme of the issues we face, looking for dirt where none is to be found and in the process sullying the names of good people,” Senator Mitchell said in a statement yesterday, after he was asked to respond to the findings of the audits.

“The matters in the auditor general's report are all matters for the technical officers to explain. Ministers don't approve overtime for drivers or bills for events. Assuming, for example, that the figure is correct, overtime of $46,000 over three years, the auditor general will have to show why that is even worthy of note.”

He continued: “My advice to date is that there is no legal impropriety on the part of the driver or the ambassador or anyone else for that matter.

“I am advised also that all of these matters in the report were put to the permanent secretary who has now decamped to the United Nations in a new job, prior to her leaving for New York. It is for her to explain and the present minister.

“I am advised also that there were answers provided by her to the satisfaction of the auditor general. I would suggest to you also that the auditor general's report is simply a snap shot of what he saw on the day he visited and matters could easily have been explained and resolved afterwards.”

An audit of the Bahamas Embassy in Washington, DC said the ambassador’s chauffeur was paid $46,883.13 in overtime during a three-year period from 2014 to 2016 and at the Bahamas Consulate General’s office in DC the messenger/driver received overtime amounting to $21,534.92.

Auditors said at the same embassy in DC, officials paid a company $22,484 for an event, but the entity did not perform the duties which were agreed upon.

“During our review, we noted that the Embassy of the Bahamas, Washington DC, executed an agreement for service to be provided by an entity,” Auditor General Terrence Bastian said in an audit conducted for the period January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016.

House Speaker Halson Moultrie tabled the reports in the House of Assembly.

“The event was scheduled to take place on August 3, 2013. Retainer fees in the amount of $22,484 was paid.

“The entity did not perform the duties as agreed; hence a demand letter raised in 2013 seeking a refund.”

Mr Bastian recommended the ministry refer the matter to the Attorney General’s office in order to pursue legal options.

The audit further made note of the approval of $68,600 to pay educational allowance to an officer.

While at the time of the review, the cheque had already been issued to the officer, Mr Bastian said receipts confirming payment of school fees were not provided.

It also noted a security deposit for a residential rental for an officer of $3,800 had not been returned, despite the officer executing a new lease on a residence in the amount of $4,250 monthly.

And at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations New York, over a period of two years July 2014 to June 2015 and July 2015 to June 2016 a total of $28,291.34 was spent to accommodate the hosting of diplomatic and promotional events including receptions to colleges and universities attended by Bahamians.

Auditors also had challenges confirming whether long distance phone calls were official or private.

They made the same observation regarding telephone calls for phones attached to the Bahamas Consulate General Office in New York, at embassies in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and in Havana, Cuba.