Guardian ( Trinidad and Tobago )
11 May 2024 ( Page 7 )
Dookeran not in support of probe into understated revenue for 2023
By Dareece Polo
A former Minister of Finance, who also served as
the Central Bank Governor, does not support any
investigation into the imbroglio between the
Auditor General and the Ministry of Finance.
Speaking yesterday, Winston Dookeran deemed
the issues raised during the public spat as
“extraordinary”, adding that he has no
recollection of a similar incident ever occurring
in Trinidad and Tobago’s history.
Dookeran was referring to statements made by
Auditor General Jaiwantee Ramdass, Minister of
Finance Colm Imbert and Attorney General
Reginald Armour, over a 2.6 billion dollar
understatement in the 2023 public financial
statements.
The matter has escalated into a lawsuit by
Ramdass, who first refused to record the figures
in the 2023 report. Through her attorney, former
attorney general Anand Ramlogan, SC, Ramdass
is claiming her rights were breached and her
reputation damaged by comments Armour and
Finance Minister Colm Imbert have made about
the impasse.
Although he did not wish to speak specifically
about the case without all the facts, Dookeran
said this incident has created a lack of confidence
in the financial management of the country.
He said the Constitution already outlines the role
and function of each office, namely that of the
Attorney General, Ministry of Finance and
Auditor General.
However, he believes the officeholders may have
misinterpreted their roles, whichcaused “a
collision of events” in the discharge of their
duties. Moreover, he said an investigation is not
necessary, as it would only serve to lay blame
when there needs to be greater clarity
surrounding the requirements of the parties
involved.
“Too many investigations have taken place in
this country that have led to no results - internal
or external - and what is more important is not
the investigations but the restoration of
confidence in the conduct of these institutions,”
Dookeran said.
“So, I am not inclined to (support) any
investigations as a way out. I think it is a matter
of assertions of the roles and I think this is what
the country would benefit from, much more than
investigations,” he added.
The former Central Bank governor also expressed
his belief that the incident did nothighlight a
need for constitutional changes to prevent
further occurrences.
“I think it’s all enshrined within the current
constitutional structures but for some reason, it
fell apart and if one were to operate within the
constitutional structure, such a collision ought
not to have happened,” he said.
He said while the public may be concerned about
the alleged understated revenues, they may be
looking to the AG’s office for its role in the
matter.
“I think they (the public) will be very concerned
about an Attorney General who says he does not
have a responsibility to protect the institution
(Auditor General’s Office) or to provide legal
advice to the institution.
I think there’s a collision of events that took
place, not a conflict of interest,” he said.
At a post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday,
Armour reiterated that he received a letter from
the Auditor General dated April 17 asking for an
interpretation of Sections 24 and 25 of the
Exchequer and Audit Act to determine if her
office is required to consider the amended budget
statements presented by the Ministry of Finance
to correct the accounts that were recalled.
Armour said he told Ramdass he was already
advising the Minister of Finance on the matter,
and suggested that he would pay for external
legal advice.
As the issue unfolded this week, Opposition
Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar called the
Cabinet-appointed probe led by High Court
Justice David Harris “a sham” and recommended
that the Public Service Commission be engaged to
resolve the matter. However, Imbert retorted
that it was merely an internal probe of the
matter.
PICTURE SHIRLEY BAHADUR-
Former finance minister Winston Dookeran/