‘If the report is accurate take me to Balsum Ghut!’ – Hon Julian Fraser RA
He was speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday September 11, 2014 during the debate on the Auditor General’s report on the Sea Cow’s Bay harbour project, executed during the time that he was the Minister for Communications and Works.
“I would be the first to say Madam Speaker if the stuff in this report is accurate, those two officers could take me to Balsum Ghut right now, I wouldn’t even bat an eye. They could take me there now,” he said, indicating the two Police Officers doing guard duties inside the House of Assembly.
Hon Fraser said that the issue of planning approval for the project is a non-starter since the project at the stage it was did not require permission from the authorities.
He said that contrary to the report, he was not doing any work with family members. He said that as a Minister he did not issue contracts to family members. “Further, I don’t recall issuing any contracts…they were issued by the Ministry and signed by the Premier,” he said.
“Madam Speaker this report is based on not one, not two, not three but four or five premises…the premise that there was wrongdoing in the Ministry and that there is the absence of records. I would show you how this statement cannot hold water,” he said.
“Another premise is the application to lease the sea beds to install two jetties is somehow related to the Government project of bulkheading the west side of the Sea Cow’s Bay harbour. The date of the application and the issuance of contracts seem to be the evidence,” he said.
“This report is built around several premises and no matter what anybody says to me, I know different. To anybody who reads the report it will be quite convincing…this report that we are looking at here tonight, as it states information is missing. They just have to find the information and they would find a very different outcome from what it in here,” he said.
“You can’t reach a conclusion based on conjecture…where are the facts. You cannot find the information so how come you could conclude? You have no facts,” he said.
“I see in this report some wild accusations. I also happen to see what’s behind this report. This report has been two years and ten months in the making Madam Speaker. As a matter of fact it got started during the campaign,” he said, referring to the 2011 general elections campaign.
“I’ve been hearing things like ‘when they gon lock him up’ over this report,” he said. Hon Fraser said that whatever is in the report that he knows to be true he will admit to,” he said. “But all this stuff in here about public money being used for private purposes…if that happened Madam Speaker I told you, I told everyone, take me away!” he said.
“The facts need to come out…don’t tell me that the Ministry does not have the files. It is impossible for the Ministry to not have the files. I worked in the Ministry for a long time. I know that every contract that the Ministry issues, they have a copy, the Auditor General gets a copy of every contract, the Treasury gets a copy of every contract…you going to tell me you can’t find the files?” he asked lividly.
“How can you make a payment for work done without the supporting documents? It is impossible,” he said. “These things don’t happen, and if they did some heads need to roll,” he said.
Further, Hon Fraser said that as a Minister he would not have been involved in approving payments since that is not a part of the Minister’s duties. This responsibility falls on the Accounting Officer in the Ministry.
“I don’t know of any Minister who deals with finances, except for the Minister of Finance. Ministers don’t go near finances. Ministers…never sign contracts. So how were these contracts issued? The officers in the Ministry had everything to do with this project. They never asked the right officers in the Ministry,” said Hon Fraser.
“The stuff that is in here (the report) is incorrect and I challenge it. Not a thin dime went into any private project in Sea Cow’s Bay,” he said.
“Anyone who is guilty of what’s in this document needs to be thrown to the wolves. But all I am saying to you is that this report cannot stand. All the information in here is going to be found and it is going to be found right in the Government offices,” he said.
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42 Responses to “‘If the report is accurate take me to Balsum Ghut!’ – Hon Julian Fraser RA”
Mark got his own issues with the Ports report and as for Myron when will he refund the tax payers? So both of them at ZERO but playing hero…not this time we will not be fooled ever again
And who are these "people" that take what they said as ZERO? I'd say you are the the one that was fooled but it was by Fraser.
So maybe Fraser is right, at this stage of the project the project did not need town and country approval, but land registry, conservation and fisheries, the ministry of natural resources and labour? Some one some where had to approve the work done.
Our fickle electorate, fed up with the NDP shenanigans, re-elect the
VIP, BUT, Hon Fraser loses his seat altogether! Would that let in Hon Fahie? Or some newcomer?
Think about it!