AUDITOR GENERAL FEELS THAT PERSONS IN THE PREMIER’S OFFICE WERE HIDING INFORMATION ON THE STIMULUS GRANTS
Written by Fuze Social Team on October 22, 2021
Auditor General Sonia Webster was told by lead government lawyer in the Commission of Inquiry Sir Geoffrey Cox QC, that she had reasons to refuse to give the extra week asked for by the Permanent Secretary to get information to her on the Stimulus grants.
In fact, the Auditor General said that she felt it was a delaying tactic by persons in the Premier’s Office and they might have been hiding something that they did not want her to see.
In her appearance to the COI, the Auditor General said that the Premier’s Office refused to provide information on the stimulus grants paid out to fishermen and farmers, so she had to go with what she has in the report.
The Premier labelled the report as incomplete.
Sir Geoffrey told the Auditor General that the Permanent Secretary at the Premier’s Office wrote an e mail to her on June 21st and asked her for one further week until the 28th of June to get the needed information.
Sir Geoffrey told her that she sent her Reports to the Governor on the 21st of June. And on the 24th of June, the Inquiry announced that she would give evidence on the 28th after receiving a summons on June 10th.
Cue in: (Sir Geoffrey Oct 22)
Cue out: …. Sir Geoffrey told the Auditor General that she refused to allow the extra week to the Premier’s Office because she felt this would have caused a delay in the reports getting to the Commission of Inquiry on the specified time.
