TCD: Accounts Committee Questions Telemaque
Yesterday afternoon [Jan 17] in the Senate Chambers, top Civil Servant Major Marc Telemaque was grilled for over ninety minutes by the House of Assembly’s five member Public Accounts Committee, along with Auditor General Heather Matthews and two members of her staff.
The grilling was over the Government’s handling of the building of the TCD Emissions Control Centre; and the focus was on the comments and observations made in the Auditor General’s Report that had criticized several aspects involving the award of the contract, the building, and the financing and general oversight of the Centre as it went from plan to completion.
The Public Accounts Committee is made up of MP Bob Richards (UBP and Chairman), MP Patricia Gordon-Pamplin (UBP), MP Wayne Furbert (PLP), MP Lovita Foggo (PLP), and MP Walter Lister (PLP). The Committee’s probing focused on six main issues:
- Tendering – Was the award of the contract subject to an open tendering process?
- Supervision – Was there an independent entity, separate from the contractor and the Permanent Secretary, that vetted requests for payment for works done?
- Advice – Did the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Transport advise the Minister that contract award actions might contravene Government’s Financial Instructions and general policy on the awarding of contracts?
- Documentation – Was there clear evidence and proper documentation to support the rise in cost from the $5.3 million initially stated and the $15.23 million that the project finally cost?
- Supervision of Payments – Was there an independent entity that oversaw payments and that verified that there was proper and adequate documentation to support the request for payment, as is laid down in Government’s Financial Instructions?
- Following prescribed procedures – Had the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Transport acted properly and in accordance with Government’s Financial Instructions and various Cabinet Conclusions.
According to the Auditor General’s Special Report, the programme “had an initial capital expenditure budget of $5.3 million in 2004/05 which increased to $8.6 million in 2007/08 and then to $14.25 million in 2008/09. In the end, the project cost taxpayers $15.23 million.”
Ex-Premier Dr Ewart Brown was Minister for Transport from 2001, when the project was first planned, until 2010 when he stepped down as Premier. Marc Telemaque was Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Transport from September 2002 until January 2007. Marc Telemaque, as Permanent Secretary for that Ministry was responsible for ensuring that Government’s Financial Instructions were followed in the processing of payments to the selected contractor; and for advising the Minister for Transport on matters of procedure and process in accordance with Financial Instructions and Cabinet Conclusions.
Ultimately, on several occasions in response to the more specific and probing questions from Mr Richards, Mr Furbert, and Ms Gordon-Pamplin, Mr Telemaque more than once said that: “I accept that things could have been done differently”…… and…that he “accepted criticism of the process”.
Summing up, Chairman Bob Richards said that: “Originally Government was going to build a Volkswagen and then ended up building a Mercedes Benz.”
This sounds like another non event with the panel failing to push the probing questions far enough. The Permanent Secretary apparently accepts he failed in his duties. Is there no accountability or consequences for failure, and where did the extra $10mn go? This has still not been answered and since Bermuda still has the same Finance Minister is disturbing. It must be time for an independent commission to probe all such issues of budgetary misfeasonce.
And you guys don’t like what Marc has got to say. Well what the heck are you going to do about it? Answer…nothing. Marc knows that the PLP power lifts everyone above the law. Yes, the PLP is a law amongst themselves…and this is a trait they inherited from the UBP. The UBP has “gone black” and they know their constituents will do nothing about it.
$10M over budget-”Nothing will ever be traced directly to me” comes to mind. Keep digging Pamela & Bob.
I am not sure that Mr. Telemaque is the appropriate person to be grilling. No doubt he had a responsibility to ensure that things went according to the Governments Financial Instructions but ultimately the Minister in charge has the final say. In this case, it would have been Dr. Brown. Paula Cox (as the Finance Minister) and Dr Brown ought to be held accountable in addition to Mr. Telemacque for any cost over runs. Telemaque seems to be an easy target and it appears that the PLP have thrown him to the wolves. Separate from this, other than getting the information into a public that generally doesn’t care about corruption, does this committee have any teeth? Let’s say that unethical behaviour and/or corruption is uncovered, then what? What are the repercussions?
Crooks…public purse…theft…stealing…lies…and the beat goes on. All in it for themselves…meanwhile the man in the street gets shafted with more taxes. Watch next month when the budget comes out! Time to bring out the guillotine. OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!
Well, it’s snowing in/on Martha’s Vineyard, very windy and really cold. Wonder where Mr. and Mrs Platinum are…..Gombey House or on his yatch…..
In their New York apartment I think you will find.
I liked Bob Richards reference earlier to setting out to build a Volkswagon but getting a Mercedes Benz.
Doesn’t he mean we got a Volkswagon, but at the cost of a Mercedes Benz?
Excuses don’t = $10m. Someone has to pay.
They did and will continue to pay for that individual’s “reign” and the numerous other so called “overruns” that “occurred” during his tenure and resulted in millions upon millions being “squandered…”
And their names are Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer…
Will be interesting to see what comes out of the Heritage Wharf inquiry…
Well..Baby “Doc” returned to Haiti and is trying to do his thing but police have reined him in.
Maybe at some stage ( Beyonce is comming) Bermudas Baby Doc will return to claim his heritage.
So much for “Wharf Tavern”…..
Could give a new meaning to “Cross the Isles”…..and ‘Dunkleys Docnuts’.
WTF are you talking about?
Guess your addressing that too me. Well, it must be well above your head for you to use ‘expletives’. Either your in denial.
Terry. Please try and offer something constructive to the conversation.
“Marc Telemaque, as Permanent Secretary for that Ministry was responsible for ensuring that Government’s Financial Instructions were followed in the processing of payments to the selected contractor; and for advising the Minister for Transport on matters of procedure and process in accordance with Financial Instructions and Cabinet Conclusions”.
No accountability, no consequences for anyone in relation to the $10 million overruns on this project!!!
This situation is kind of like the devil having Judas as his assitant in overseeing tht things are done with all honesty and fairness. Give me a break TCD is not too much better than it was before if you ask me, at least not 15M worth for sure! Somebody got a few kickbacks I’ll say!
Bwahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
$15.23 Million is not ‘Constructive” ?
Guess you like “Gillotine” better ?
Irony is a beach and we have many that some need for progress. You cannot have progress un;ess you have means and you can’t have means unless you have captial and you can’t build without it.
Speaking of “Captital”.
St. George.
Hamilton.
IB.
Tourism.
The ‘Fiddler’ has left the room. Go figure.
So what does TCD stand for.
All I can find on Wikileeks is Telamaque Controls “Documentation”.
That’s it. I knew it.
I am calling on all to Get “KFC” involved here. Tink abot it…..
Where Is the MONEY? Cost overruns is extra money paid for something, well, we don’t have that something. The Auditor General said that monies were unaccounted for, and things were charged twice. There needs to be a full inquiry by the Auditor General into the requisition of funds. The tax payer paid for 2 BMW’s but someone drove the other BMW away.
“I accept that things could have been done differently.”
You guys do know that this kind of ‘mamsy pamsy’ response wouldn’t fly in any country where the voter hold their politicians to account, right? We’re talking millions of dollars here, and yet Bermudians just go on about life, sleepwalking while our leaders take us to the cleaners. UNBELIEVABLE.
To echo another posters comment: “No accountability, no consequences for anyone in relation to the $10 million overruns on this project!” Crazy.