AG stands 100% by Wall report; Calls Walwyn dangerous!
The wall, commissioned by Minister for Education and Culture, Hon Myron V. Walwyn (AL), was said to be overpriced and corrupt according to the report, costing taxpayers some $1.6M.
Furthermore, on Friday, December 14, 2018, Governor of the Virgin Islands (VI), Augustus J. U. Jespert noted that the report on Hon Walwyn’s ESHS wall was sent to the Police for further action.
Following that announcement, Mr Walwyn immediately went on a rant, lambasting both the Governor and AG to dispute the report and even claiming that the Governor was interfering with the politics of the VI.
Report now properly made Public – Ms Webster
In her statement today, Ms Webster noted that she was, “pleased that the audit report on the ESHS Perimeter Wall has now been properly made public and is available for all to examine and consider.”
In referencing to the overpriced wall built by Mr Walwyn—where many were paid but no work done—the AG stated, “I am concerned, firstly that government projects are allowed to be managed with so little regard for public resources, but more acutely because the response coming out of the Ministry [of Education and Culture] does nothing to convey confidence that steps will be taken to secure improvements in the implementation and management of future public projects.”
On Friday, following Governor Jespert’s announcement that the report was now with the Police, Mr Walwyn immediately criticized the Governor and AG over the findings, in a war of words.
However, in her statement today, December 17, 2018, Ms Webster fired back saying, “Reports of this office go through several vetting processes to ensure that they are factual and supported.”
“When the institutions that support public transparency and good governance are attacked and undermined at will, and government regulations and parliamentary procedures are deliberately disregarded, we risk becoming a society where the rules that affect democracy and fairness are eroded,” she said.
The AG further states, that if allowed, those rules can be, “rewritten in plain sight and public servants accede to questionable activity for fear of political reprisals. This is a dangerous place to be,” she notes, “and [it] cannot be the society that we want the BVI to descend into.”
Dangerous actions
In essence, she was referring to the actions of Hon Walwyn as dangerous not only to democracy, but to the very foundation of good governance, accountability and public transparency.
She stated, “Government officers and members of the general public must continue to ask for accountability in government and insist on better management of public funds, regardless of political affiliation."
"To do otherwise is to consent to the wasting of limited public resources and the erosion of national integrity, both of which are essential for the development of the territory and prosperity of future generations,” Ms Webster noted.
The AG warned that the statements made by Hon Myron V. Walwyn in interviews and elsewhere in the press are both “incorrect and misleading,” and that the contents of the report are clear.
“As Auditor General I stand behind the contents of the Report and I fully support the members of my staff who work on the public’s behalf to promote improved public accountability and transparency,” she said.
See Fact Check report below
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Minister’s Assertions (As presented in his Statement and as Reported in 284-News Interview)
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Finding |
Auditor General’s Response |
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1. PWD was not consulted during the audit process. |
FALSE |
PWD was contacted for this audit. The auditor visited the PWD and conferred with both the current and former Directors (together in person). PWD was asked to provide a costing for the wall but the then director declined indicating that they were not involved in the planning and execution of the Elmore Stoutt Perimeter Wall. |
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2. Audit Report valued the wall at $372,000. |
FALSE |
The Audit Report does not provide any valuation of the wall. It benchmarks the quantity surveying rates used by SA Architect for this project against PWD rates used on similar projects in 2015. Nowhere in the Audit Report is there a valuation of $372,000 (or $371,007.72). The amount appears to be an incomplete computation which is being presented by the Minister that is based on the PWD benchmark used in the Audit report. This apparent incomplete computation includes only the works for “Block Wall Construction” (discussed on page 10 of the Report) but does not include the amount for “Rail installation and Painting” and for “Other Works”( such as Demolition works and the addition of a Bus Drop-off area). The benchmark is not intended to be used to cost the project but to provide a comparison with other public projects. No benchmarking was done for rail works as there was insufficient information in the PWD 2015 petty contracts to reasonably drawn on. However based on the Ministry’s data the omitted costs would increase the estimate by an additional $412,256.51* for Rail Installation/Painting and $124,413 for Other Works. The amount of $372,000 (or $371,007.72) presented by the Minister is therefore both incorrect and misleading. (*actual payments plus amount requested for completion of rail works) |
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3. Ministry’s procedures satisfied Government requirements for payment. |
FALSE |
The Ministry circumvented the public service payment procedures by sending documents which falsely certified that the work was done and payments were due. Payments were made based on these false certifications which the Ministry accompanied with purchase orders and vouchers. The payment process relies on senior government officers to do their part to ensure that government’s resources are protected. The officers of the Treasury cannot be expected to examine the wall to determine which contractors completed the works. They must rely on the integrity of the persons submitting the completion certificates. Accounting Officers who submit false payment requests may be subject to surcharge by the Financial Secretary. |
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4. There are no quantity surveyors in the Auditor General office. |
TRUE |
The Audit office does not provide quantity serving services nor does it claim to. |
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5. The Auditor General has requested more resources for staff and training |
TRUE |
More resources would allow the office to perform a greater number of Value For Money Audits and Special Audits on Government Projects and provide greater transparency on government’s operations. Additional training is required for Auditors as the Treasury prepares to move from GAAP accounting standards to IPSAS accounting standards for the preparation of financial statements. This transition should be fully on stream by 2020. The Office’s resources were more than adequate to perform an examination of a wall. |
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6. Attached to the Audit Report should have been a PWD valuation. |
FALSE |
The Minister does not determine what goes into, or is attached to, an Audit Report. |
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81 Responses to “AG stands 100% by Wall report; Calls Walwyn dangerous! ”
Our elected officials were elected by the public snd they must report to the public!
This man don’t know who he playing with. Great Job.
What a disgrace
Humble Him AG! Let's Go POPO we counting on you to pen the hog!
We don't want to hear no more excuse, You Wall win hand picked the fake contractors! You Wall Win hand picked the man to sign off these fake certificates!! and You Wall Win continue to teach the youths how to steal, be bold and don't accept responsibility for their actions!!!!! Send the Minister and the man who signed off these fake contracts to ballo!!! and let the youths do community service and repay the debt owed to the country!!! and if Finance minister jump in there to try and cover things up send him up the camp to!!! his children need a good a$$ whooping!!!
All of you who aided in this misconduct watch and see how your lives will be affected, because of one man greed and need for power!!!! Wake Up!!!!
Shame on You Wall Win!!!
Ndp out!!!!!!!
VIP ALL WAY!!
Thumbs down if y’all want Myron be the next premier
You tried to give some crooks work they took the money and didnt even pound a nail. Call the names of the contractors that took the money and did nothing, list their name so we can see
The side of karma and justice always eventually prevails however, universal and natural order. Blessed. Again, Stay strong.
Why didn't the audit report provide a valuation of the wall? How can you ascertain overspending if you haven't found out the true value of the wall?
Is that another way of saying they made a guess of the cost and value of the wall. I am not an accountant but this can not be the way an audit is conducted when seeking an accurate account of how public monies were spent. I stand to be corrected if im wrong.
Wall Wind is a LAWYER by profession!!!!! DON'T EVER 4Get THAT!!! He knew exactly what he was doing and he knew all the cronies who aided in stealing from tax-payers!!! This is another reason why he frequents these bars and solicit the young men who own equipments and fully well know they are not certified architects, contractors or engineers!!!! Gets them to do a $50,000 job, but sells it to them as a $15,000 contract! while the man who signs off on the fake certificates to state that the job was completed in order to have treasury pay out money!!!! $35,000 unknown to the lil man is shared between him and his corrupt colleagues!!! The Youths on the street talking as no one wants to go to jail!!! (To the Youths when it boils down to it, TELL THE TRUTH!!!! DON'T TAKE THE FALL!!! LET WALL WIN GO BALLO) out here selling fake dreams and giving false hopes to the youths, while yelling how much you care about them!!! NONSENSE!!!!!!!
His brain was on all!!!! as he himself looked at the benchmarks himself, and marked up the project himself!!!! "As no consultation was done with PWD consultants, contractors or engineers" A BOLD FACE LIE!!!!
and all of you, who continue to support and condone this behavior, we already know that you're a recipient of stolen tax payers money!!!! The writings are clear on the wall!!!
We need to be rid of the NDP!!!
You’re sooo Pathetic!!!!!!
Lock his a** up
1. East End Sewage
2. BVI Airways
3. Tortola Pier Park Project
When will the above matters become official public knowledge like the small wall project
Fair is fair; and it only righteous to bring all the darkness into the glorious light(let the people say it’s about time)....send message to our political leadership(do not take the public treasury and turn into their personal bank account) it have been going on for far to long
All those NDP candidates who are sitting down watching this nightmare unfold for them thinking this is a Myron issue, can remain quiet like zebras in the wild. This will take all of you down if you are not careful. Somebody in that camp with common sense and logic, better advise MWM quickly. It seems like the leader is in trouble and his followers can help him so they will follow him in trouble.