Questions raised in Public Accounts Committee meeting on $1.24M variance

Questions were raised in the Public Accounts Committee meeting on the $1.24 million variance that was recorded in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s 2015 Auditor General’s report.

It was highlighted in the 2015 Auditor General’s report that the consolidated Trading and Manufacturing Account Balance Sheet had cash at bank of $5.28m while consolidated cash at bank reconciliation balance was $4.04m as at 31st December 2015 resulting in a variance of $1.24m.

The Ministry’s Principal Accounts Officer Sen Jeet says it should be noted that this was done by their staff and is before the courts at the moment.

When asked by the Committee Chairman Ashneel Sudhakar on what kind of fraudulent activity had happened, Jeet says that this was a case of fraud and misappropriation.

Jeet says this involves a court case that has already been cleared off and five more to go.

It was also noted in the 2015 Auditor General’s report that a significant amount of receipts and payments were recorded in the Trading and Manufacturing Account Profit and Loss Statement for which separate cash account general ledgers were not maintained.