CHARGES have been recommended by the Ministry of Education against Head-teacher of Liana Nursery school, Penelope George, for alleged fraudulent conversion and misuse of the school’s funds.

The charges were recommended by acting Principal Education Officer (PEO), Immanuel Bridgewater, in a letter to the acting Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson. The letter states that an investigation into security services rendered at Liana Nursery School was conducted by the Education Ministry’s internal auditor, Khemraj Jailal on February 13, 2017.

This was done with the intention of obtaining sufficient, relevant and reliable information on finances which were to be spent on security for the period January 2015 to December 2016.

According to the findings of the audit, George allegedly collected $2,999,202 for the year 2015 and $3,020,248 for 2016, on behalf of the school. However, the report states that the auditor could not ascertain whether funds collected were deposited into the school’s bank account, since no bank book or current bank statements were presented by the Head-teacher for scrutiny. It was revealed that the last bank statement showed a balance of $269,491 as of August 6, 2014.

Additionally, no receipts were presented by George for payment of security services for the months of February, March, November and December 2015 and September, October, November and December 2016. Presented to the auditor was a receipt dated December 4, 2015 for $160,680 as a payment for security services rendered for September 2015. However, the school’s security register reflected a payment of $243,600. Similarly, a receipt for $200,000 was seen by the auditor as payment for security services rendered for October 2015, but the school security registers reflected $243,600.

“The security service was being paid part payments although Ms. George would have collected grants to cover full payments” the audited report stated.

Further, it was pointed out that an interview with the security firm’s secretary revealed that no payments were made for the months of September, October, November and December in 2016. Letters written by the head-teacher to the security firm’s secretary asking for time to settle outstanding amounts, which she had converted to her personal use, were also seen by the auditor.

Meanwhile, the total amount outstanding to the security firm for the period under investigation is $1,119,840.

In the circumstance, it was concluded that security grants were not spent for its intended purpose by the head-teacher, and as a result criminal charges were recommended by the PEO. “As a consequence, it is recommended that Ms. Penelope George, Head Mistress, Liana Nursery School be charged under the Education Act, Chapter 39:01, Section 47, Schedule2”, Bridgewater’s letter to the CEO stated. That law states that without prejudice, the Minister of Education may make regulations for the following purposes; (a) for securing the proper application and distribution of all monies provided by Parliament for the purposes of education; and (c) for the government and discipline of all schools of every kind maintained from monies provided by Parliament.

The specific offences cited by the PEO were; misuse of money belonging to others in the school; and fraudulent conversion of school funds.