Ministry set ablaze hours after audit launched into $1B cleanup

Mere hours after an investigation was launched into last year’s $1B “Clean up my Country” campaign initiated by the previous administration, an arson attempt was directed to the Audit Section of the Ministry of Communities,

Fire Service and the police outside the Ministry of Communities yesterday afternoon

Fort Street, Kingston yesterday afternoon.
The Ministry, formerly known as the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, had spearheaded the cleanup project under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government, which saw a $500M expenditure in the Georgetown area alone. The rest was allocated to various regional bodies.
This newspaper understands that yesterday the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communities ordered a special audit into the spending of the countrywide cleanup project.
According to sources close to the Ministry, documents regarding spending in the project were subsequently requested by auditors within the Ministry. These documents would have provided records of the Ministry’s spending with regard to transactions.
However, reportedly one hour after the request was made, Ministry staff members were alerted that a fire had started in the Audit Section of the compound. The fire was reportedly in a room immediately next to where the documents were housed. The Minister’s office is also said to be located in the same section of the compound.
Sources close to investigation, told this newspaper that the fire was contained to an isolated room. After the flames were reportedly extinguished it was found that two chairs and the walls of the room were scorched, while the carpet was discovered to be burnt. It is believed by investigators that the floor had been saturated with kerosene, hence the reason for the burnt carpet.
Around 17:00hrs, security guards for the Ministry noticed dark smoke billowing from that section of the compound and promptly altered the Fire Service to the scene. When Kaieteur News arrived on the scene the Fire Service officials were still investigating the incident.
In a recent article published by this newspaper, newly appointed Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, had promised a forensic audit of the $1B “Clean up my Country” campaign, due to evidence pointing to the mismanagement of allocated funds by the previous Local Government and Regional Development Ministry.
According to Bulkan, the central Government had granted the allocation without meaningful consultation with the Municipalities. Taxpayers did not get value for their money out of the initiative.
Recently the publication had received reports, that when the new government took office the Ministry Boardroom was filled with wheel barrows, which were meant for the initiative but had not been utilised. This suggested that the Boardroom was not in use.

http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....hed-into-1b-cleanup/

Ow, they trying a NOKTA.

When Minister Nokta was demitting office, the Local Government Ministry was BUN TO THE GROUND.

PPP into protesting and slo fiah mo fiah. 

Bro, you're grinning but I'm irate. Those PPP crooks deserve jail sentences. The police and fire department must investigate thoroughly and charge suspected arsonists.

They need to beef up security for at least 3 months initially until we have done the audits, and have fire trucks on alert.

Govt needs to digitize and computerize quickly.

Accountant detained after arson attempt at Ministry

– Former minister unaware of misuse of funds

One day after an attempted torching of the Ministry of Communities in Kingston, investigators yesterday held a senior official of its Finance Department.

I did my part! Norman Whittaker, former Local Govt. Minister.

Police sources confirmed that an accountant of the Ministry was detained after he was grilled.
On Wednesday afternoon, shortly after Internal Auditors started a probe into last year’s spending of a $1B project to ‘clean up Guyana,’ staffers were alerted to smoke in the building which houses the Audit Office and the office of Minister Ronald Bulkan.
What fire investigators found initially was startling. There was an obvious attempt to set the building on fire as evidenced from kerosene found at the scene. Two chairs and the walls were badly damaged. It was in a room not far from the Audit Office which reportedly held receipts and other documents pertaining to the spending. The building is largely a wooden one.
Yesterday, investigators reportedly viewed video footage from security cameras and noticed a male bearing what appeared to be a container heading into the room where the fire started.
Based on investigations, the accountant was picked up, questioned and later arrested.
Permanent Secretary, Emil Mc Garrell, disclosed that police were carrying out their investigations with a statement expected after it is completed.
Yesterday also, former Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, in a statement said he is unaware of any issues with respect to the intentional misuse or mismanagement of cleanup resources which “were never brought before me or the Committee or the Cabinet and not addressed.”
That ministry has been merged with the Ministry of Housing and Water

An accountant of the Ministry of Communities has been detained following Wednesday’s arson attempt.

to create the Ministry of Communities.
The new Government, under President David Granger, had vowed to review spending for a number of projects that were implemented by the previous administration.
With heavy rains over the weekend which left several parts of the city flooded, the spotlight had come down on the $1B cleanup project by the previous Government.
Minister Bulkan and staffers reportedly found wheelbarrows, tools and other supplies in the Ministry’s boardroom last week.
Ministry sources disclosed that following Wednesday’s incidents, steps have been taken to beef up security at Kingston offices and secure the records.

AGGRIEVED
Meanwhile, according to former Minister Whittaker yesterday in a statement, recent newspaper articles on the arson attempt have created the “perception, real/imagined, that the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development which I headed may have been guilty of mismanagement of the funds made available by the PPP/C Government for the countrywide cleanup.”
He said that after reading a report of the story, and in the satirical column ‘Dem Boys Seh’, in the Kaieteur News, he is offended, and “of the opinion that any reasonable person would read it the same way: “Whittaker mismanaged the funds and the recent ‘arson attempt’ was an attempt to conceal whatever documentation there is at the Ministry”. I ask you all to randomly interview any staff of the Ministry on this matter and if you come across even one who can speak of ‘ former Minister Whittaker’s dishonesty’; bring me in guilty. I am upset, and so too is my family with the content of these articles. The authors did not even seek my comments. How sad! How unfair!”
At no time did Kaieteur News mention Mr. Whittaker’s name.
He pointed out that fortnightly reports of the project detailing work in progress, the procurement of goods and financial reports with respect to finances approved and provided through the Ministry of Finance, were submitted by the Head of the Technical Planning and Implementation Committee for the project.
“And may I add that this Committee saw representation from a number of Ministries besides the Ministry of Local Government and included also representation from the Georgetown Municipality.”
He said that the attempted arson apparently following closely on a ministerial order to have a forensic audit of the project done and “has obviously caused some to attribute nefarious ulterior motives for the act while the impact of the recent flooding has been attributed by others to poor planning and implementation in the design and implementation of the cleanup project.”

NO WAY
Whittaker insisted that as the minister charged with implementation of the project, he could not place $1B in the hands of the Georgetown City Council which had “shown the lack of will and ability to manage” rate payers money and which “clearly demonstrated that transparency and accountability were not integral to their work”.
The former minister said that it was never the expectation that the project that flooding would cease and garbage in public spaces would become a habit of the past.
“Public education and awareness and the sustaining of the Project by the Local Authority legally authorized were determined to be prerequisites to the sustenance of the project.”
He said that the project provided an opportunity for consultation and employment of persons from their respective communities.
“The people of Albouystown, East Ruimveldt, Alberttown, Lodge, Agricola, Alexander Village etc… would I am sure attest to this fact.”
Whittaker pointed out that he was instrumental in establishing the Audit Department which will be probing the $1B spending.
“I may not have been at the Ministry long enough to analyse the work of the Department but I am happy to see it start its work. I proudly leave with those who would wish to tarnish/blemish my more than four decades of honest, unblemished public service to my fellow Guyanese: a commitment to continue to serve with diligence, humility and honesty. I know of no other way.”

http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....attempt-at-ministry/

Whay was the PPP trying to hide when they attempted this dastardly act?