The Director General of Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, Maurice Merchant, told the public that the long-running investigation into the improper procurement of government vehicles and the evasion of taxes has been concluded.
The investigation, which centered on the unauthorized acquisition of hundreds of vehicles valued at over EC $15 million without proper financial oversight, has resulted in the Ministry of Finance successfully recouping misdirected funds.
“The Financial Secretary and the Ministry of Finance have reached agreements with several concerned dealerships. Through these arrangements, funds were recouped from the dealers involved, and the Ministry now deems the matter settled,” Merchant said during the post-Cabinet press briefing last week Thursday.
He explained that the companies involved were able to identify where errors had occurred, and those errors were corrected through the repayment of funds to the government. Regarding the public nature of the scandal, Merchant noted that the government believes its focus on restitution was the correct path, which is why there has been little discussion recent on the matter after the successful recovery of the funds.
While the procurement investigation is closed, Merchant said that the wider audit of government vehicles remains ongoing and is set to enter a significant new phase.
“The Ministry of Works has compiled detailed information from various ministries regarding the number of state-owned vehicles currently in use. This next phase, expected to commence in a week or two, will involve the replating of all government vehicles,” he noted.
Merchant said this move reinforces a policy decision made by the Gaston Browne administration to ensure that government vehicles carry “G” plates rather than the “A” plates many currently use.
He clarified that this policy applies to all government-owned transport, with the exception of a select few individuals such as the Commissioner of Police and High Court Judges.
The replating exercise is intended to provide better oversight and transparency regarding the government’s fleet following the conclusion of the “Vehicle-gate” inquiry.
