FULL payments for no work, unsigned contracts and inflated costs were some of the allegations levelled in the preliminary audit report into the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) road resurfacing programme, by the previous PNM administration, between October 1, 2019 and November 30, 2021.

On Thursday, THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine read the 90-page report by independent auditor Caribbean Institute of Forensic Auditing (CIFA), during the ninth sitting of the 2021-2025 session at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex.

The document identified three contractors approved by the Executive Council and noted that resurfacing works were valued at $206,468,925 for 80 roads.

Augustine said: 'The findings seem to suggest that there was no competitive tendering process for 80 road projects valued at $206 million. It also suggests that contractors were hand-picked and the $206 million in road resurfacing works were shared among them on the approval of the last Executive Council.'

He said 21 out of the 80 roads were randomly selected to be examined by the auditors. Of the 21 roads visited, Augustine said, there was no evidence of any work started, or in progress, at 11 of the them.

'Notwithstanding that fact, these 11 roads unbelievably have certification of completion. They either have certificate of completion or they formed part of claims being made by contractors even in the court.'

He said contractors have been paid in full for four of the 11 roads, amounting to $15.5 million.

Augustine said he received a pre-action protocol letter on Wednesday from one of the three contractors threatening to sue over the non-payment. He said he threw it into a bin.

Augustine said there are just three steps to complete the report.

'The findings here are facts and will not change. The details of the report will not change. The three steps that are required are administrative steps to ensure that all the legal issues and requirements (are followed).'

Minority Leader Kelvon Morrris asked why one report was addressed instead of waiting for the audit reports for all five programmes.

Augustine said: 'We had several delays in getting the report in the first place and I promised sometime in July that I will bring the report to the House in September, and true to form, I have brought the report to the House and to the people of Tobago, but I wish to reiterate that this is one out of five, the other four will come.

"...I am advised that the remaining four reports should all be completed in time for end of this calendar year, so in time for the end of December. So I would like to give myself until the end of January month to present the remaining reports.'

Asked about the policy going forward to prevent future wrongdoing, Augustine said it was not just administrative, but the report strongly suggests that there were coercion and collusion between people 'that we pay in the THA to protect our business and the private enterprises that we do business with.'

He said a zero-tolerance approach would be adopted.

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