PM Shuts Down LifeSport
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Friday shut down the LifeSport Programme and instructed Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to send the audit report on the programme to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Commissioner of Police (CoP), the Integrity Commission (IC) and the Head of the Public Service.
She made the disclosure in a statement to the House of Representatives when she laid the report in the Parliament. She said, “Because of the very serious breaches found, the LifeSport Programme will be immediately terminated.”
She said her action was based on the reccommendation of the audit committee of the finance ministry, which conduted the report.
The Committee recommended that the entire matter be turned over to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Commissioner of Police to prosecute the several breaches identified.
She said, “I wish to state that I have instructed the Hon. Attorney General to deliver copies of this report to the Director of Public Prosecutions and Commissioner of Police for their review and determination.
“In addition, in light of the concerns raised regarding possible complicity by officers of the Ministry, the report will be sent to the Integrity Commission and the Head of the Public Service for further action.”
The Prime Minister expressed her “personal regret, deep disappointment and dismay” that a programme that was intended to save lives – to build lives, was used by a group of people “for fraud and personal gain”.
She said the group of people who derailed the good intentions of the programme have “given their support to criminality, rather than to the country’s young people”.
She said she was sorry that the programme would no longer be available to those who really sought to improve their lives and positively benefit from the programme. And she assured them that “through other working programmes, we will reach you, we will help you and we will provide the opportunities you need to build your lives.”
She added, “Citizens of our country can rest assured that as we move forward implementing programmes meant to positively impact our communities, we will NOT tolerate wrong-doing, we will NOT tolerate corruption, and we will NOT tolerate the abuse of programmes meant to save our people, for selfish, personal gains.”
She said one very important message coming out of the Audit Report is that there is an urgent need for procurement laws to become fully operationalized.
“Issues such as these convincingly drive home the point of what’s important – and how important procurement laws are to each and every person, family and community in our country,” she stated.
“And while we continue to champion that new procurement regime, our country can rest assured that at every turn, I have stood firm that progress in our country must be underlined by integrity and benefit for the population. Any person or any group who seeks to subvert the law and the public benefit will pay the price!” she pledged.
The Prime Minister noted several issues noted by the committee:
(i) There were widespread breaches of proper procurement practices;
(ii) The approval given by Cabinet was not strictly adhered to;
(iii) Persons at the coordinating level may have been involved in criminal activity;
(iv) there were several instances of fraudulent activity by suppliers to the Programme;
(v) There may have been widespread theft of equipment from the Programme;
(vi) There may have been breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act; and
(vii) There was poor control and monitoring of the Programme by the Ministry of Sport.
The Committee also raised questions regarding possible complicity by officers of the Ministry, given the widespread nature of the breaches.
The Prime Minister’s full statement is below:
PRIME MINISTER’S STATEMENT ON LIFESPORT PROGRAMME AUDIT
INTRODUCTION
In May of this year, a newspaper publication brought to light allegations of wrong-doing and misuse of resources in the LifeSport programme.
Based on the very real possibility of there being irregularities I immediately instructed that the programme be transferred to the Ministry of National Security, and that the Ministry of Finance and the Economy, through its Central Audit Committee, conduct a full audit.
A thorough and focused audit and has now been completed.
Because this programme was intended to positively impact some of our most vulnerable, younger citizens, I believe it is appropriate that the report of the Central Audit Unit on the LifeSport Programme be made public, by being tabled here in the House of Representatives.
ABOUT THE AUDIT
A brief history of the programme is important. The Cabinet in August, 2011, agreed to the implementation of the LifeSport Programme by the Ministry of Sport, through the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago.
The programme was launched in June, 2012, and started in August 2012. This year, up to the time of the audit, the programme was being conducted in forty-three (43) centres throughout Trinidad and Tobago, for young men between the ages of 16 and 25.
THE FINDINGS OF THE AUDIT
The review has revealed a number of discrepancies which include:
(viii) Procurement breaches;
(ix) A deviation from the mandates of Cabinet;
(x) The involvement of some persons in criminal activities;
(xi) Fraud by suppliers;
(xii) Theft of equipment;
(xiii) Breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act; and
(xiv) Poor control and monitoring by officers of the Ministry;
The Committee also raised questions regarding possible complicity by officers of the Ministry, given the widespread nature of the breaches.
RECOMMENDATIONS
What is most shocking and disappointing, is the fact that given the usually stringent nature of the bureaucratic processes in obtaining approvals for projects, implementing programmes and monitoring progress, no action was taken to halt or prevent what the Audit Committee found.
This programme was conceptualised and formulated as part of a comprehensive programme to roll back the tide against criminals and criminality in our country.
It was specifically focused on saving the lives of young men who needed to be protected from the criminals who routinely preyed on them, and helping to shape positive futures for these young people.
We see our young men as future fathers, future role models, future professionals, who need care, attention and opportunities.
The criminals see them as pawns and as persons who could front crime and violence. To the criminal elements, these young men are a means to an end, and are, in their view expendable.
And this is where I must express my personal deep disappointment and dismay that a programme that was intended to save lives – to build lives, was used by a group of people for fraud and personal gain.
This group of people who derailed the good intentions of the programme, have in effect given their support to criminality, rather than to our young people.
For these reasons and because of the very serious breaches found, the LifeSport Programme will be immediately terminated.
For those who really sought to improve their lives and positively benefit from this programme, I am sorry that this had to happen.
However, do not despair. Because of the actions of a few, this programme will be halted, but through other working programmes, we will reach you, we will help you and we will provide the opportunities you need to build your lives.
Further, I have accepted the recommendations of the Audit Committee and the Attorney General has been instructed to turn the report over to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Commissioner of Police to investigate, detain and prosecute those guilty to the fullest extent of the law.
Given the fact that the Central Audit Committee has raised the possibility of complicity by Ministry officials, the report will be sent to the Integrity Commission and the Head of the Public Service for further action.
Citizens of our country can rest assured that as we move forward implementing programmes meant to positively impact our communities, we will NOT tolerate wrong-doing, we will NOT tolerate corruption, and we will NOT tolerate the abuse of programmes meant to save our people, for selfish, personal gains.
In fact, if there is one very important message coming out of this Audit Report is the urgent need for procurement laws to become fully operationalized.
Issues such as these convincingly drive home the point of what’s important – and how important procurement laws are to each and every person, family and community in our country.
And while we continue to champion that new procurement regime, our country can rest assured that at every turn, I have stood firm that progress in our country must be underlined by integrity and benefit for the population. Any person or any group who seeks to subvert the law and the public benefit will pay the price!
I thank you.