THE Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) yesterday said that the Ministry of Labour, Human Services, is the agency for which money is channelled for the provision of dietary items for inmates at the Juvenile Holding Centre, Sophia as it relates to an article published in the ‘Kaieteur News’ newspapers dated Thursday, March 08, 2012 and captioned, ‘AFC, APNU Call for Probe into Police $90M’. A press release said that, among the issues raised in the article was an allegation that the sum of $1.5M was advanced to purchase dietary items for inmates of the Juvenile Holding Centre and that the Centre never received the funds.
It added that the source of the information appears to be ignorant of an arrangement between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, where that ministry would supply meals for inmates at the Centre and payment for such service would be facilitated by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The release noted that the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security submitted a request to the Ministry of Home Affairs for a total of $1.5M for the supply of meals for the year 2011 and on receipt of that request, the MOHA applied to the Ministry of Finance for additional funding to meet this liability.
The document said that the money was received and was paid to the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security via an inter-department warrant, in keeping with financial regulations.
The release said, “Because of the arrangement between the two ministries, there is no need for any money to be handed over to the administration of the Juvenile Holding Centre for the supply of meals to inmates.”
It added that it is the ministry’s expectations that this response would be given equal prominence by the ‘Kaieteur News’ newspapers.