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Forensic Audit Of UDeCOTT, Then What?
Starting from the high office of the Honourable Keith Rowley to Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute to most citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, everyone is calling for the Forensic Audit of Udecott. Rightfully so!
Then what?
If findings of corruption and wrongdoing are uncovered, will the wrongdoers be held accountable? Will anyone be brought to justice? Or, is this forensic audit going to be turned into another political stunt of deception and cover-up?
I am very skeptical that the government of Trinidad and Tobago is serious about exposing any corruption at Udecott, as the following example will prove.
A forensic audit was recently done by Price Waterhouse Coopers on another major state agency, The Tourism Development Company Of Trinidad and Tobago. Price Waterhouse Coopers found numerous irregulairities with TDC.
Some of the findings of PWC as reported in the Trinidad media state as follows:
The TDC did not have an approved marketing and campaigning policy/plan relating to the 2006 World Cup, this was confirmed by discussions with the marketing manager, and PWC's review of board minutes maintained by TDC's company secretary!
Reports of expenditure for the World Cup were not submitted to the board until after the world cup!
Based on discussions with the marketing manager of the TDC, PWC were informed that expenditure incurred for the 2006 World Cup was not analysed!
Minutes of the 20th board meeting, provide further confirmation that the total expenditure incurred was not approved by the board!
Decisions relating to the World Cup expenditure were made by a separate committee chaired by the Honourable Minister Chin-Lee. However, PWC could not assess whether the World Cup expenditure was approved by the Honourable Minister!
No other form of documentation was seen to indicate the Honourable Minister's approval!
Minutes of meetings held by the separate committee were not available for the public's review nor were presented at any board meetings as per matters documented in minutes relating to board meetings held up to February 2007!
A major Trinidadian business firm approached the TDC to secure funding for events to be hosted in Germany, they received a cheque in the amount $517,500. The cheque was signed by the TDC president and finance manager. PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that the cheque number and the person to whom the cheque was dispatched were not documented in the manual log maintained by the TDC!
Proof could also not be obtained that above mentioned firm did what they were paid to do.
As we can see clearly from this forensic audit, numerous major violations were happening at the TDC. What action has been taken against the TDC for their flagrant violations and abuse of their position? What action has been taken against the TDC for their absolute disregard of our laws, citizens of this country and our tax dollars? Are the management responsible for all these violations still in their positions today? Are they still abusing and misusing my tax dollars? Are they still misusing the huge budgets entrusted to them? Where is the accountability?
How much more abuse is going on right now?
Based on the above, I have no confidence that a forensic audit of Udecott will do anything to bring justice to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Much the same way nothing is being done to bring the management of the TDC to account for their clear abuse of this state agency. I can only expect that the same will happen with a forensic audit of Udecott.
If the Tourism Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago was a private company, the entire management would be terminated immediately and quite possibly face legal action.
I ask the Prime Minister, responsible ministers and government of Trinidad and Tobago to do what is expected of you. Show leadership and responsibility and take action against the corrupt ones in your government and these state agencies that are being abused. It is our inherent right as citizens of this land to demand this of you.
How is this country expected to move forward when individuals managing these major state agencies have agendas of their own and not of the country? I trust that this call to action will not fall on deaf ears. Enough is enough.
Pierre Small
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If Pierre Small is your true name, you are an exceptionally brave person, and you are probably not living on Trinbagonian soil. Why? Trinbagonians residing in T&T are deathly afraid to speak out on such matters, fearing visitations by rapists, gunmen or bullying police officers ( - Mr Inshan Ali could tell you about the latter). Can we blame them? I guess not because self-preservation is their first priority. But on the other hand they are responsible for their own plight.
The synopisis of information that you give us is most interesting and well set out. I trust you have hard evidence to back it all up - and it isn't just another 'dey say and dem say' thing.
Based on the inertia you highlight that followed the forensic audit into TDC, you rightly point out the reasonable expectation of a similar outcome if a forensic audit into UDECOTT was to take place.
What puzzles me is that you appeal to 'parents' of UDECOTT, to bring light, justice and accountability to the matter, when the parents have been as misguided as the child, and stand accused of complicity with the actions of the wayward child. And that is not simply based on the response to the TDC audit. It is based on a very easy to do overview of the last 15 years of functioning of the 'parent'.
You waste your time appealing to the 'parent'. The electorate needs to be motivated to realise that they have mistakenly adopted a mindless and uncaring parent. The electorate needs to adopt or create a new 'parent'. That my friend is the task that a divided Nation must take on.
UDECOTT and TDC etc etc are simply symptoms of a 'disease' - the electorate needs not to treat symptoms - rather it needs to treat the core pathology.
...Mr. Small you talk about a Forensic Audit of UDECOTT and rightfully so, but what ever became of the UDECOTT Commission of Enquiry announced by the Government of the day...???
...the reason I asked, is that you have also asked the question, after the UDECOTT Forensic Audit, "Then What.."? Because we all know the answer to that...NOTHING...right..?
...this government has been steeped in corruption from its inception, read the Political History of T&T and you'll get the picture, and so you are right in that nothing will be ever gained from any of these "sham exercises" to appease the population and send right back into their "land of slumber" all the while the treasury is being raided from right under there collective noses, and they remain "sleeping at the switch" while the government plunder the patrimony of the people..!
...nearly every "project" the government is engaged in is rank in corruption and mismanagement, be it UTT, UDECOTT, THA or any other one you can pick at random...all steeped in corruption...unfettered and unshackled and unbridled corruption...!
...from all of this, it seeme like all the people are willing to do is "march every Monday morning and carry placards, burn tires and make noise" and then they retreat into their respective hiding places and await for the next opportunity to "march and wave placards and burn tires and make noise" and the routine goes on and on, every Monday morning...!
...by now, the Government is used to these "fruitless tactics" and simply ignore them and goes about their business of raping the treasury at will...!
...when the "noise" become too loud, they send in their "spin doctors" to make idiotic statements to the people, and the people lap it up as gospel truth, and the "games continue", just to the liking of the inept government administration, and the people get quiet for a while till the next event, and the cycle goes on and on, ad infinitum...!
...when and where will it stop, who knows, it has gone on for so long now, that it is a way of life, along with all its abuses to the people, that to go back to your question..."then what...??
...in my simplistic view and opinion...NOTHING...!
...to borrow and recite "Cantrini's" phrase..."..if they always do what they always did, they'll always get what they always got...!
...they have already been primed and conditioned by the "government of the day" - they have willingly begged to be subjected back into slavery once again, as they are not yet ready to take full responsibility for themselves and their lovely country...they have left all of that to their "megalomaniac leader", and he is having a field day with them...!
...so don't expect miracles, he is not godly as he would have you think...in fact quite the opposite, take a close look...even Lucifer is quite upset right now, for he himself does not stoop that low...the man is pure evil...beware...!
...good luck, Trini.t.o.o