C.E.O. speaks on the misappropriation of funds at the Central Health Region

Peter Allen

Almost six weeks ago News Five received reports of misappropriation of funds in the Central Health Region of the Ministry of Health. Those reports were confirmed, but not much information was available because the Audit Department was called in to investigate. Today C.E.O. in the Ministry of Health could not provide many details, except to say that the audit is complete and the matter has been put in the hands of the Public Service Commission. Allen says that as far as he understands, it was more a matter of improper accounting by several persons in that office.

Peter Allen, C.E.O., Ministry of Health

“The audit team has presented a comprehensive report and we have invited the principals involved in that report to make comments on the principal findings. The report has been submitted on the advice of the Auditor-General’s Department to the Public Service Commission and that’s where it is at the moment. The Public Service Commission I understand is waiting on the comments from the principals involved in the report and then will decide what is the appropriate action to take. Of course you understand that these are long serving Public Officers and so we want to give them every opportunity to defend themselves and make sure that we follow the appropriate procedures. All the persons are employee by not just the Ministry of Health; one particular officer has been transferred to another ministry; as part of the normal rotation of the ministry of public service. What we have done at the Ministry of Health is fro anybody who may have been named as an alleged participant in things that may not have followed proper procedures; we have removed them from any authority for accounts. We are essentially running those accounts from the ministry of health at the moment which is a bit complicated and cumbersome but we are looking out for the people’s best interests.”

News Five understands that the so-called mismanagement involved the use of funds allocated for NHI to purchase personal items for friends and family, including laptops, Ipads and other gadgets. Allen told us today that it’s not exactly that, but close.