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There are indications that questions triggered by an internal audit commissioned by former chancellor of the University of Technology (UTech), Dr Blossom O’Meally Nelson, over expenditure on accommodation, transportation and entertainment for the president of the university, Professor Errol Morrison, may have precipitated her sudden resignation earlier this month. But some members of the board and representatives from the president’s office have dismissed these claims, saying the findings were based on misunderstandings and misinterpretations of issues.
A report on the matter was prepared in September last year by Utech’s internal auditor, Dwight Sibbles. Regarding accommodation, questions were raised over the rental by Utech of Professor Morrison’s wife’s house at Roven Heights in upper St Andrew. The property where the couple resides, was rented temporary at a cost of $150,000 monthly, while repairs were being done to the president’s official residence. While cost was not raised as an issue, the auditors contended that there were “no formal rental agreement and recommended that a formal agreement should be implemented.
However, the Sunday Herald was shown a February 25, 2007 letter written by vice president for finance and business services, Dr. Kofi Nkrumah-Young, to Professor Morrison’s wife, making reference to an agreement for the rental of premises for a temporary period at a cost of $150,000 per month.
Tax attorney Ethlyn Norton-Coke, who was recently recruited from the auditing field to the university, said the letter constituted a formal contract.
Concerns were also raised about repairs done to the Morrison’s residence, for which the university was billed, as well as issues surrounding the leasing of a 2004 Mercedes Benz ML 270 motorcar from the University of the West Indies (UWI) Diabetes Outreach Project, for Professor Morrison, while UTech sourced an official vehicle for the president.
The report also pointed to concerns regarding entertainment expenditure, the invoice for which lacked specific details. However, representatives at Professor Morrison’s office hit back, saying most of the conclusions and findings were based on “misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the issues”.
In an interview with a six-member team, including Professor Morrison, documentary evidence was presented showing that “concerns raised in the report were settled and were behind the university”. These included concerns over who should be responsible for $61,634 spent repairing the roof of the house rented as temporary accommodation for the president. According to the internal auditor, the sum ought to be refunded by the president to the university.
The decision was “… based on consultation and review of the Rent Restriction Act, section 4, first schedule, which states that the landlord ought to be responsible for general repairs,” Sibbles states.
He was also critical of Professor Morrison for replacing an invoice for the repairs after UTech had honoured the invoice. According to Sibbles, it was a gross error that should never be repeated.
But the president’s office explained that the original invoice contained certain errors, which needed to have been corrected to reflect exactly what repairs were done, thus the need to replace the original invoice.
Small sums, including $10,000 spent for repairs done at the president’s wife’s private residence, $10,000 to cut away trees from the house, $17,000 for repairs to a refrigerator fan, a fridge, repairing the washing machine, servicing the heater, along with $20,971.72 to paint a water tank and $6,800 to service a lawnmower, were also questioned.
Sibbles argued that these sums should be refunded to the university, but the president’s team told the Sunday Herald that Professor Morrison’s contract stipulated that he be provided with fully maintained accommodation and the repairs done would be covered by the contract.
It was noted that the Mercedes Benz car which was leased to the UTech at a cost of $200,000 monthly for the presiudent’s use, had been assigned to Professor Morrison by the UWI while he worked at the Diabetes Outreach Project.
The internal audit document noted that to date the UTech had not purchased a motor vehicle for Professor Morrison, due to protracted delay stemming from his choice of motorcar, which was approximately US$2,000 more than the maximum allowable Cost Insurance Freight (C.I.F) stipulated by the Government of Jamaica policy.
This resulted in the Ministry of Finance and Planning not approving the expenditure and hence, the UTech has incurred expenses of over $1 million for leasing the car. This additional cost was seen as negative, as the institution posted a negative balance of $181 million for the year ended March 2007.
Additionally, the Utech was saddled with a maintenance bill of $216,402.23 from the UWI Diabetes Outreach Project, which the leasee refused from paying.
The Sunday Herald was told that Professor Morrison has agreed to pay the difference between the government C.I.F ceiling and the full cost for the car of his choice, which will be bought within the coming weeks.
A report on the matter was prepared in September last year by Utech’s internal auditor, Dwight Sibbles. Regarding accommodation, questions were raised over the rental by Utech of Professor Morrison’s wife’s house at Roven Heights in upper St Andrew. The property where the couple resides, was rented temporary at a cost of $150,000 monthly, while repairs were being done to the president’s official residence. While cost was not raised as an issue, the auditors contended that there were “no formal rental agreement and recommended that a formal agreement should be implemented.
However, the Sunday Herald was shown a February 25, 2007 letter written by vice president for finance and business services, Dr. Kofi Nkrumah-Young, to Professor Morrison’s wife, making reference to an agreement for the rental of premises for a temporary period at a cost of $150,000 per month.
Tax attorney Ethlyn Norton-Coke, who was recently recruited from the auditing field to the university, said the letter constituted a formal contract.
Concerns were also raised about repairs done to the Morrison’s residence, for which the university was billed, as well as issues surrounding the leasing of a 2004 Mercedes Benz ML 270 motorcar from the University of the West Indies (UWI) Diabetes Outreach Project, for Professor Morrison, while UTech sourced an official vehicle for the president.
The report also pointed to concerns regarding entertainment expenditure, the invoice for which lacked specific details. However, representatives at Professor Morrison’s office hit back, saying most of the conclusions and findings were based on “misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the issues”.
In an interview with a six-member team, including Professor Morrison, documentary evidence was presented showing that “concerns raised in the report were settled and were behind the university”. These included concerns over who should be responsible for $61,634 spent repairing the roof of the house rented as temporary accommodation for the president. According to the internal auditor, the sum ought to be refunded by the president to the university.
The decision was “… based on consultation and review of the Rent Restriction Act, section 4, first schedule, which states that the landlord ought to be responsible for general repairs,” Sibbles states.
He was also critical of Professor Morrison for replacing an invoice for the repairs after UTech had honoured the invoice. According to Sibbles, it was a gross error that should never be repeated.
But the president’s office explained that the original invoice contained certain errors, which needed to have been corrected to reflect exactly what repairs were done, thus the need to replace the original invoice.
Small sums, including $10,000 spent for repairs done at the president’s wife’s private residence, $10,000 to cut away trees from the house, $17,000 for repairs to a refrigerator fan, a fridge, repairing the washing machine, servicing the heater, along with $20,971.72 to paint a water tank and $6,800 to service a lawnmower, were also questioned.
Sibbles argued that these sums should be refunded to the university, but the president’s team told the Sunday Herald that Professor Morrison’s contract stipulated that he be provided with fully maintained accommodation and the repairs done would be covered by the contract.
It was noted that the Mercedes Benz car which was leased to the UTech at a cost of $200,000 monthly for the presiudent’s use, had been assigned to Professor Morrison by the UWI while he worked at the Diabetes Outreach Project.
The internal audit document noted that to date the UTech had not purchased a motor vehicle for Professor Morrison, due to protracted delay stemming from his choice of motorcar, which was approximately US$2,000 more than the maximum allowable Cost Insurance Freight (C.I.F) stipulated by the Government of Jamaica policy.
This resulted in the Ministry of Finance and Planning not approving the expenditure and hence, the UTech has incurred expenses of over $1 million for leasing the car. This additional cost was seen as negative, as the institution posted a negative balance of $181 million for the year ended March 2007.
Additionally, the Utech was saddled with a maintenance bill of $216,402.23 from the UWI Diabetes Outreach Project, which the leasee refused from paying.
The Sunday Herald was told that Professor Morrison has agreed to pay the difference between the government C.I.F ceiling and the full cost for the car of his choice, which will be bought within the coming weeks.
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