Financial Investigation launched into BVI Airways Audit report
Written by Fuze Team on June 10, 2020
Governor Augustus Jaspert says that the BVI Airways Audit report would not stop with the criminal investigation by the Commissioner of Police Michael Matthews only.
In his first statement on the Audit Report after it was laid on the Table of the House of Assembly by Premier and Minister of Finance Andrew Fahie, Governor Jaspert said he is pleased to support the Commissioner’s request to appoint independent financial investigation experts to set the wheels in motion for the investigation and he is grateful to members of the National Security Council for agreeing to the funding.
Once the investigation has concluded, further investigations can commence, including in relation to any potential breach of rules and regulations by public officers and the Deputy Governor will lead on that work.
Governor Jaspert
He further said that the Report addresses a number of issues, in relation both to how the project was carried out and the parties involved. It also highlights significant lessons for Government to learn on the approach to such contracts and projects – lessons which need to not just be implemented in rules and procedures, but also in practice.
This Special Report, Governor Jaspert said has highlighted a number of areas where there have been failures to follow proper processes: in seeking competitive options for contracts; in failing to adopt legal and other advice; in the execution of a contract, and in weaknesses in financial and project performance management systems.
The Governor said this is all hugely concerning and what also concerns him is the fact that previous audit reports have highlighted similar failures which have also led to the loss of Government’s revenues.
Governor Jaspert said notwithstanding the accountability procedural measures mentioned in the Financial Management Act, its supporting regulations, the reporting processes that are in place for projects of this nature, they now need to determine how have the current systems and practices enabled this to happen?
He said he believes that this and previous audit reports show that there are fundamental deficiencies in their systems, practices and procedures which are designed to protect public finances and ensure proper project management.
