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The Auditor General has uncovered worrying irregularities at the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) indicating poor management, weak oversight and lack of financial accountability.
Among the findings is that INSPORTS has paid $11.73 million in salaries, which was recorded up to July this year, and travelling allowance to two employees who have not reported for work in seven years.
Auditor General Pamela Munroe Ellis said INSPORTS’ administrative director explained that one of the officers stopped attending work shortly after he got the job in July 2004. The other has not showed up since November 2008.
The report:
Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme(JDIP) Special Audit Report
The INSPORTS administrator is further reported to have said that one of the officers is mentally challenged, while the other is not able to walk and needs a wheelchair to move around.
The officer, who is unable to walk reportedly became disabled after he was injured on the job.
According to Munroe Ellis, a decision was made to keep the two people on the payroll.
However, the auditor general said all the cheques payable to them were collected by third parties, purportedly on behalf of the two officers.
Munroe Ellis also found that since April 2008, a relative of a former staff member was being paid $55,000 a month, totalling $2.2 million at July this year.
The auditor general also noted there is information indicating that in February 2008, the sports minister gave approval for the monthly pay out.
According to the information, the payment was to have continued until the finance ministry agreed on an ex-gratia payment for the services the former officer.
Meanwhile, INSPORTS was incurring other huge costs.
The Auditor General said over the past five years, INSPORTS has had to pay its bankers $448,000 in overdraft interest, but there was no evidence to suggest that the finance ministry had approved the use the overdraft facility.
In addition, there would be additional costs because of a unilateral decision by INSPORTS’ administrative director to reclassify 13 of 14 appraised staff positions.
The auditor general said along with the reclassification of the 13 positions, unauthorized payments of salaries and travelling allowance were made to 12 officers.
The value of this breach was $24.6 million dollars for the period June 2007 to June 2011.
At the same time, INSPORTS has been found to be overstaffed by 21 people.
The entity has also failed to present audited financial statements for 19 years.
The auditor general said the INSPORTS Board has failed to enforce good corporate governance practices as it did not establish objectives or develop suitable mechanisms to promote accountability.
Furthermore INSPORTS reportedly breached the Public Bodies Management and Accountability Act by failing to represent a corporate plan since it inception in 1978.
damion.mitchell@gleanerjm.com
Among the findings is that INSPORTS has paid $11.73 million in salaries, which was recorded up to July this year, and travelling allowance to two employees who have not reported for work in seven years.
Auditor General Pamela Munroe Ellis said INSPORTS’ administrative director explained that one of the officers stopped attending work shortly after he got the job in July 2004. The other has not showed up since November 2008.
The report:
Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme(JDIP) Special Audit Report
The INSPORTS administrator is further reported to have said that one of the officers is mentally challenged, while the other is not able to walk and needs a wheelchair to move around.
The officer, who is unable to walk reportedly became disabled after he was injured on the job.
According to Munroe Ellis, a decision was made to keep the two people on the payroll.
However, the auditor general said all the cheques payable to them were collected by third parties, purportedly on behalf of the two officers.
Munroe Ellis also found that since April 2008, a relative of a former staff member was being paid $55,000 a month, totalling $2.2 million at July this year.
The auditor general also noted there is information indicating that in February 2008, the sports minister gave approval for the monthly pay out.
According to the information, the payment was to have continued until the finance ministry agreed on an ex-gratia payment for the services the former officer.
Meanwhile, INSPORTS was incurring other huge costs.
The Auditor General said over the past five years, INSPORTS has had to pay its bankers $448,000 in overdraft interest, but there was no evidence to suggest that the finance ministry had approved the use the overdraft facility.
In addition, there would be additional costs because of a unilateral decision by INSPORTS’ administrative director to reclassify 13 of 14 appraised staff positions.
The auditor general said along with the reclassification of the 13 positions, unauthorized payments of salaries and travelling allowance were made to 12 officers.
The value of this breach was $24.6 million dollars for the period June 2007 to June 2011.
At the same time, INSPORTS has been found to be overstaffed by 21 people.
The entity has also failed to present audited financial statements for 19 years.
The auditor general said the INSPORTS Board has failed to enforce good corporate governance practices as it did not establish objectives or develop suitable mechanisms to promote accountability.
Furthermore INSPORTS reportedly breached the Public Bodies Management and Accountability Act by failing to represent a corporate plan since it inception in 1978.
damion.mitchell@gleanerjm.com
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