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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Babsy snubs examination of Ministry Accounts ( Observer )...</span>
MEMBERS of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament today expressed displeasure and annoyance with accounting officers of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture who snubbed the proceedings, which would examine their statements of accounts for the years 2008-2009.The ministry was slated to appear today at the final meeting of the PAC for the calendar year 2010 and the members' annoyance could not be ?disguised after the members were told that an official signed in for the proceedings and disappeared.PAC chairman Dr Omar Davies advised the meeting that he received a telephone call from minister Olivia Grange on the weekend asking for a cancellation."There is something strange here. The minister called me on the weekend and indicated that she does not have a permanent, permanent secretary at?present, she has an acting permanent secretary. She and the acting permanent secretary had to travel and she asked would I cancel," Davies began.?"I told her no, send the next in line, the accounting officer. I am told that someone signed in and then disappeared."To their chagrin, when they finished with officials from the ministry of foreign affairs who were appearing for the second time in six weeks, Grange's ministry officials were nowhere to be found.?The committee members were not amused.?The committee clerk advised the meeting that an official of the ministry claimed he received an email from the executive assistant to the acting?permanent secretary that the meeting was cancelled.?Davies remarked that there appeared to be some rigmarole, and asked the clerk to "dispatch a very strong letter".?"It's one thing for people to come unprepared, it's another thing for people not to show up," he said.Committee member Everald Warmington said the behaviour showed the type of disrespect constantly shown to the committee, as accounting officers either?come unprepared, or come and mislead the committee.?With the committee closed for the year, it means that ministry's books had escaped the scrutiny of the PAC, and concerns raised by the auditor general were not explained to the members.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Babsy snubs examination of Ministry Accounts ( Observer )...</span>
MEMBERS of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament today expressed displeasure and annoyance with accounting officers of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture who snubbed the proceedings, which would examine their statements of accounts for the years 2008-2009.The ministry was slated to appear today at the final meeting of the PAC for the calendar year 2010 and the members' annoyance could not be ?disguised after the members were told that an official signed in for the proceedings and disappeared.PAC chairman Dr Omar Davies advised the meeting that he received a telephone call from minister Olivia Grange on the weekend asking for a cancellation."There is something strange here. The minister called me on the weekend and indicated that she does not have a permanent, permanent secretary at?present, she has an acting permanent secretary. She and the acting permanent secretary had to travel and she asked would I cancel," Davies began.?"I told her no, send the next in line, the accounting officer. I am told that someone signed in and then disappeared."To their chagrin, when they finished with officials from the ministry of foreign affairs who were appearing for the second time in six weeks, Grange's ministry officials were nowhere to be found.?The committee members were not amused.?The committee clerk advised the meeting that an official of the ministry claimed he received an email from the executive assistant to the acting?permanent secretary that the meeting was cancelled.?Davies remarked that there appeared to be some rigmarole, and asked the clerk to "dispatch a very strong letter".?"It's one thing for people to come unprepared, it's another thing for people not to show up," he said.Committee member Everald Warmington said the behaviour showed the type of disrespect constantly shown to the committee, as accounting officers either?come unprepared, or come and mislead the committee.?With the committee closed for the year, it means that ministry's books had escaped the scrutiny of the PAC, and concerns raised by the auditor general were not explained to the members.