Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator

The approval of more than $500,000 in education benefits to two persons, one, a close relative of a former project officer in the Social, Economic and Support Programme (SESP) unit, has led the Auditor General's Department to raise concerns of nepotism by the officer involved.

The payments were made to the beneficiaries between 2005 and 2006.

Acting Auditor General Pamela Munroe Ellis raised the matter yesterday during the first sitting of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Dr Omar Davies, Opposition spokesman on finance.

The PAC chairman demanded a report on the matter, which should be presented at next Tuesday's sitting.

Addressing the PAC, Munroe Ellis said her department was not convinced that due process was carried out before the benefits were awarded.

A former project officer of the SESP unit approved an education benefit amounting to $158,000 to a close relative.

Transaction subject to scrutiny

The acting auditor general said there was no indication that the transaction had been subject to scrutiny from a senior officer.

It was reported that the former project officer also approved an education grant totalling $432,000 to another beneficiary.

In both cases, the disbursements were made to a commercial bank and transferred to the account held by the project officer, instead of being paid directly to the educational institutions.

The auditor general said both amounts were subsequently remitted to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

Munroe Ellis said the awarding of the benefit to a relative of a project officer was a conflict of duty.

The Social Development Commission (SDC), which implements the SESP programme, and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), under whose portfolio the SDC, now falls, were in the hot seat in Parliament yesterday.

Executive Director of the SDC, Robert Bryan, said the entire transaction was carried out without the direct input of the commission.

"We receive instructions as to who the beneficiaries are and the instructions for payment," he said.

OPM Director General Devon Rowe told members of the PAC that an investigation was ordered in January last year into the two payments.

He told the PAC that the project officer was no longer working with the SESP unit.

Rowe said in another six weeks, the investigation would be completed.

However, Davies insisted that a report be presented to the PAC by next week.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com