The Bureau of CARICOM Ministerial Council for Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) has decided that a comprehensive audit should be carried out on the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS).
According to a press release from the CARICOM Secretariat at Turkeyen, this audit will be undertaken by an independent audit firm in the region and will be preceded by a preliminary investigation in the next week by the Director of Internal Audit of the CARICOM Secretariat.
The Bureau, presided over by CONSLE Chairman Dr Errol Cort, Minister of National Security of Antigua and Barbuda, met on Friday via video conference to discuss allegations recently published in the media with regard to IMPACS.
Other members of the Bureau are Adriel Braithwaite, Attorney-General of Barbados; Guyana’s Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee; Dwight Nelson, Minister of National Security of Jamaica; and Brigadier (ret) John Sandy, Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago.
Also present at the meeting were the acting Secretary-General of CARICOM, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite and Astona Browne, Chair of the Management Committee which has immediate oversight of the agency.
IMPACS, which was established in 2006 through an Inter-Governmental Agreement among CARICOM member states, reports to the CONSLE through the Management Committee.
The Bureau of CONSLE will be meeting again shortly to determine what further action should be taken based on the results of the preliminary investigation.
The Bureau will continue to ensure that the Caribbean Community’s security agenda, which is implemented by IMPACS as well as other agencies and institutions within the security architecture of the Community, is in no way compromised, the release concluded.
