APNU+AFC scandal…

CONCERNS about the alleged pilfering of almost $800,000 worth of fuel from the Ministry of Education, going as far back as 2017, were tentatively put to rest on Monday, following the revelation of the findings of an investigation into the matter.

The matter came up for scrutiny at Monday’s sitting of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, where it was revealed that the fuel was apparently “sold off” to the Demerara Ice Factory.

And the only reason it came to light was because the committee was querying an entry in the Auditor-General’s Report, whereby it was said that fuel was being uplifted by vehicles not registered to the Ministry of Education.

According to Government Member of Parliament Dharamkumar Seeraj, the report specifically states that “diesel valued some $788,000 was uplifted on 13 instances by vehicles that were not registered to the ministry.”

Seeraj, with the permission of the chair of the committee, grilled Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Alfred King and members of his staff about the registration number of the vehicles that reportedly uplifted the fuel, and whether those vehicles did actually belong to his ministry.

As Seeraj tried to get to the bottom of the matter, Opposition MP Ganesh Mahipaul interjected, saying that it may currently be engaging the attention of the police. At this, Seeraj replied that he was not inquiring about the police report, but rather the findings of the ministry’s internal investigation.

To his credit, the PS reported that the police have already completed their investigation, and that one Mark Samuels was charged and subsequently found guilty, and ordered to repay the ministry for the fuel he’d stolen.

King further revealed that although the man was ordered by the court to make restitution, he has not done so as yet, and that the ministry’s next course of action may very well be taking him back to court.

However, after asking that copies of the report be made available to the members of the committee, Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, after receiving his and perusing it told his colleagues that what the document revealed, in essence, was that Samuels used his vehicle to uplift fuel from GuyOil in pails, and took it to the Demerara Ice Factory, where it was deposited in drums.

The Public Works Minister further noted that the man allegedly returned with another vehicle belonging to the Demerara Ice Factory and, though he did not say so, the implication was that he would have uplifted even more fuel.

The minister went on to question the Permanent Secretary as to why an internal investigation was never completed in an attempt to ascertain whether there was any collusion as it relates to the matter.