ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall says the Audit Department will be investigating several contractors who were awarded contracts to construct houses under the Hurricane Beryl Response initiative and failed to complete the project.
“I want to put out a warning to persons who have collected government moneys and did not do what they should do with it, or you used it for other purposes and so on, we will have the Audit Department audit those things, we will have the necessary steps taken to make sure you can account or account for the moneys you were given,” he said.
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According to the 2007 Audit Act, the Director of Audit shall be the auditor of all government accounts and, as such, shall conduct such examinations and inquiries as he or she considers necessary to enable him or her to report as required under the provisions of the Constitution and the legislation.
The northern part of Grenada, particularly St. Mark’s, St. Patrick, and the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, was the worst hit by the Category 4 hurricane that devastated the island on July 1 last year. In the aftermath, the Dickon Mitchell government approved millions (One EC dollar equals 0.37 cents) to assist homeowners in rebuilding their homes.
The Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation (MIT) was allocated EC$15 million under the 2024 supplementary budget to assist with the rebuilding of the houses.
The Ministry of Finance, justifying the allocation to the MIT ministry, said it will be used for “Reconstruction of approximately two hundred (200) homes on mainland Grenada in the parishes of St. Mark & St. Patrick. EC$50,000 per home, this includes labour & material and equipment cost if deemed necessary.”
Speaking about alleged financial misconduct, malfeasance, and irregularities involving public funds through contracts awarded by the MIT, Cornwall said that he has heard of one or two cases where contractors started construction on houses and then disappeared.
When asked why this is happening, he replied, “I don’t know, but I believe that the persons issuing the contracts to those contractors need to make sure that they vet these people properly”.
The rebuilding contracts were awarded by the MIT and the Ministry of Housing, whose portfolio minister, Gloria Thomas, recently confirmed that some of the houses built or renovated under the Hurricane Beryl response were a disaster.
Sharing details of the financial wrongdoings, Cornwall said that he had heard stories, and though he didn’t want to discuss them, he gave an example.
“I don’t want to talk about it here right now, but for example, a guy got money he put it in an account and so on and now and again he goes and takes a little EC$200 and he does not appear on the person’s site to confirm and continue the project.”
Announcing that all government funds must be accounted because of the various supporting legislation, Cornwall said, “I want to put out a warning to persons who have collected government moneys and did not do what they should do with it, or you used it for other purposes and so on, we will have the Audit Department audit those things, we will have the necessary steps taken to make sure you can account or account for the moneys you were given,” he said.
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