THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, May 10, 2016, PAGE 5
Social Services fraud probe forwarded to police force
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE investigation into a “fraudulent” scheme at the Department of Social Services in which several employees purchased groceries using food coupons has been forwarded to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin said yesterday. Mrs Griffin told The Tribune that the scheme, brought to light last month by Auditor General Terrence Bastian’s damning report on the Department of Social Services’ (DOSS) internal controls “is some-
thing that is all in the hands of the police now, so they will have the opportunity to do their jobs.” Mrs Griffin’s comments came three weeks after it was revealed that staff members at the department participated in a scheme in which they used $1,034 worth of food coupons intended for Bahamians on welfare to purchase groceries. By using the coupons for ten different clients, several employees of the DOSS were able to obtain grocery items on August 30, 2015. In his report, Mr Bastian and his team also criticised the Department of Social Services for “gross
negligence” in allowing $4.237m to be paid to suppliers without proper authorisation, exposing it to potential fraud and corruption. A day after the report was tabled in Parliament, Mrs Griffin said further investigations would be made into the matter; however, she could not confirm whether or not the investigation would be an internal or external one. About a week later, Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander said police had not yet been called in to investigate the matter. When questioned yesterday on the matter, Mrs Griffin said: “Since the re-
port has been completed we are now in a position to take further action. What we’ve done has always been a process. First of all we took steps under the rules and regulations of the public service, and we’ve also proceeded with forwarding the matter to the police for their further investigation. “…So that is something that is all in the hands of the police now, so they will have the opportunity to do their jobs.” Mrs Griffin also said while the matter is of great concern to the Ministry of Social Services, it ultimately points to “a systemic problem in our coun-
try where we are trying to operate a 21st century on a 15th or 16th century system”. “The system is archaic, and it is open for abuse, and that is what is happening. That does not justify it, but what I’m saying is that we have to deal with that. “And my ministry has been dealing very comprehensively with ensuring that we modernise the system, and that is the reason why we would have introduced the prepaid card, whereby we’ve also putting in place the RISE programme, where we computerised all the centres and there’s ongoing training. “And so we expect to be
able to mitigate against opportunities for fraud.” Mr Bastian’s report covering the period July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015 - exposed a litany of internal weaknesses in the department’s accounting section and raised questions about how effectively top officials were providing oversight and management during the period in question. The report also highlighted internal weaknesses in which money is sometimes used to pay for services that clients don’t receive, contributing not only to waste of public funds but compromising of the health of clients as well.
GROUP DOES NOTTAGE: VOTE HURT BY NOT TRUST PM SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TALK COMMENTS ON REFERENDUM from page one
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
SAVE Our Bahamas yesterday said Prime Minister Perry Christie’s recent statements that same-sex marriage would never happen in The Bahamas during his lifetime should be viewed under the adage that “a promise is a comfort to a fool”. The group, which opposes the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill in the upcoming gender equality referendum, yesterday insisted that the sentiments pushed by Mr Christie and other leaders have not changed the committee’s belief that the bill would effectively open the door to same-sex marriage. Pastor Lyall Bethel, pastor of Grace Community Church and associate member of the Save Our Bahamas committee, said the group’s stance has not changed “despite all the smoke and mirrors circus that is going on.” Pastor Bethel told The Tribune that the “circus” was evident in the actions of members of the transgender community whom he said rushed to the House of Assembly to show their support for the proposed amendments and then “distanced” themselves from the referendum. He has also implied that spokespersons from the transgender community were coached into appearing ambivalent about the outcome of the referendum. “I believe that our prime minister has already demonstrated to this voting electorate that the old adage is still true, ‘a promise is a comfort to a fool,’” said Pastor Bethel. “Were we not assured endlessly and repeatedly that he would abide by the people’s wishes in the last referendum? Yet despite that resounding ‘no’ by the people, gambling joints have popped up all over the country, and not even an acknowledgement from (the prime minister) that he has anything to apologise for,” Pastor Bethel added. He was referring to the 2013 gambling referendum. Most of the people who voted said “no” to both questions on the ballot but the government later regulated web shops in spite of the results. However that vote was considered an opinion poll and its results were not legally binding as is a constitutional referendum. “We encourage all Bahamians of voting age to go and register to vote before May 25 and vote no against bill four on June 7. You can’t afford not to vote
as this vote is binding, the government has to obey the people’s vote,” the pastor urged. On Friday night, Mr Christie told The Tribune that he was “almost embarrassed by” the line of thinking that the upcoming referendum would open the door to same-sex marriage. He went on to imply that a “yes” vote would be “morally” correct. Save Our Bahamas came out in opposition to bill four after the Christie administration refused to amend the Constitution to define marriage as a union between a “born male” and a “born female” only. The government has dismissed fears that the bill could inadvertently lead to same-sex marriage, stressing that the Matrimonial Causes Act would protect the status of marriage in the Bahamas. At the YES Bahamas’ campaign launch, Mr Christie said the purpose of the upcoming vote is only to ensure that Bahamian men and women are equal under the Constitution. Mr Christie stressed that in the Bahamas – under the Matrimonial Causes Act marriage must be between a man and a woman, and the fourth amendment will not change that. The other three referendum bills deal with issues of citizenship.
because it would appear as if there are very responsible people in our community who are prepared to suggest that (the bills have to do with same-sex marriage) when they know full well that they are not connected.” Talk of same-sex marriage and rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have come to define the debate about the referendum. Government officials and organisers of the YES Bahamas campaign have pushed back against this narrative, stressing that the upcoming vote is about equal rights for men and women in the Constitution. Dr Nottage, however, said he has no regrets about the government not including the words “at birth” in the fourth proposed amendment which would prohibit discrimination based on one’s sex, which is defined as being male or female. “No regrets because we’ve been informed that including the words at birth would’ve created more confusion than is the case now,” he said. Some pastors have suggested that those words, along with the Constitutional Commission’s recommendation that a provision explicitly saying that the anti-discrimination amendment would not conflict with laws prohibiting same-sex marriage, would have allayed fears about the ramifications of the amendment if they were included. Nonetheless, Dr Nottage said: “I understand that there is a certain segment of the community who are
DR BERNARD NOTTAGE genuinely concerned about ity for people regardless of same-sex marriage, I un- their sex. Those are simple derstand that, but to sug- propositions, nothing comgest that this will lead to plicated about that.” same-sex marriage ought “I think there’s a lot of not to be a consequence of erroneous misinformation their fears but based on the being circulated by people facts as they are. There are who oppose the amendsome people who are even ments,” he continued. “I suggesting that it is the in- trust that Bahamians will tent of the government that make sure they acquaint same-sex marriage be vali- themselves with the true dated by these changes and impact of the amendments that’s not true.” and vote to support them.” Despite pushback, Dr Dr Nottage, who is the Nottage said he doesn’t be- minister responsible for lieve it’s necessary for pro- referendums, also said he ponents of the amendments to start encouraging Bahamians to at least vote for the first three amendments which, unlike the fourth bill, concern citizenship, even if they can’t support the fourth bill. “I wouldn’t say that to anybody,” he said. “I think people should support the four bills, which leads to a path for citizenship for people who qualify for it and the path for equal-
could not yet verify the cost of the referendum, saying it will cost about just as much as the gaming referendum of 2013. Dr Nottage has previously said the gambling vote cost the government just over $1.2m. He also became mildly defensive when asked if he thinks the government should give public funds to the referendum’s vote “no” campaign, telling The Tribune only the minister of finance can speak to the issue. “I’m a member of the government,” he said. “That’s not an appropriate question to ask me. I already told you where to go with that question.” Since the vote “no” campaigns requested public funds several weeks ago, government officials, including Prime Minister Perry Christie and Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, have refused to give a definitive response to the question of what it intends to do.