While admitting that Cabinet approved some $2.7M for a diaspora outreach programme that turned out to be a PPP/C electioneering activity in the US and Canada, the government yesterday dodged questions on why the monies were cleared.
“The issue of whether it is an appropriate expenditure might be entertained by the Auditor General, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and such bodies but at the end of the day you have to have cabinet approval to spend the government money,” said Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon yesterday.
Last week, Former President Bharrat Jagdeo, PPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate Elisabeth Harper, her husband Mark Harper, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud and Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali were part of a delegation that held party fundraising events in the United States and Canada.
The expenses for that event, termed a Diaspora Outreach under the Ministry of Tourism, were funded by taxpayers’ dollars to the tune of some US$13,100.
Luncheon was asked why cabinet approved the monies for the project that was clearly a campaigning event. He would only say that all money from the treasury had to be given cabinet approval before it can be spent.
“You can’t expect that these activities conducted by officials and leading to expenditure of public funds would not be graced by a cabinet decision,” he said.
He said that he did not believe that a press conference was the appropriate forum to discuss the appropriateness of the spending as the Public Accounts Committee and the Auditor General can address the issue and make the necessary determination.
“Some matters you don’t go to Caesar’s house to try Caesar …Whether there was a basis? Let us go and argue it out at the level of the PAC and the appropriate fora. It doesn’t make sense you ask Cabinet ‘Cabinet you think you do the right thing?’ What you think Cabinet will tell you?” he questioned.
