Bank statements concerning the Government’s individual travel card, held by Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, show a number of transactions of
US$1,000 each conducted at the American Fertility Clinic in New York in June, 2006. The statements, produced yesterday by Opposition back-bencher MP Ganga Singh (COP), also show:
* Purchase of jewelry at Christies Sothers (New York) for US$6,420 on June 1, 2006
* Purchase of clothing at Max’s Better Dresses (New York) for US$259 on June 9, 2006
* Purchase of items at Bitz N Pieces (New York) for US$607.81 on June 9, 2006
* Purchase of items at Lighthouse Lighting Corp (New York) for US$3,118.99 on June 13, 2006. Singh produced the documents after Wednesday’s Lower House sitting, when he quoted from a report of the Comptroller of Accounts.
The Comptroller’s report concerned contraventions of the Government’s individual (Visa Gold) travel card by 29 senior officials, including
Robinson-Regis and seven other ministers.
Cabinet, according to Minute 2412 of August 26, 2004, approved the card for official overseas travel and local entertainment expenses for 120 government officials and holders of certain offices under the Salaries Review Commission.
The card has a limit of US$10,000 for government holders, and is issued by First Citizens Bank.
Singh had said on Wednesday that according to the
Comptroller of Accounts’ report, Robinson-Regis had a credit card overdraft of $174,000. Singh claimed that the money was used to buy jewelry, clothing and light fixtures.
Comptroller’s report According to the Comptroller’s report,
Robinson-Regis incurred an expense of $10,951 in April, which was described as “private use,” another in May for the same purpose, in the sum of $26,352.56, and the biggest in June of $176,453.59. Robinson-Regis subsequently denied she had made improper use of the travel card.
She said the two large amounts were cash advances that were to put the card in credit to pay for medical expenses overseas. She said one could not take a large amount of cash to the hospital and had to put the amounts onto the card as a cash advance. She did not state what medical treatment was sought. The credit card statement listed several transactions of US$1,000 each conducted at the American Fertility Service in New York for the period June 5 to 13. Robinson-Regis returned to work in April after giving birth to twins in January.
Robinson-Regis said Cabinet ministers were entitled to medical health coverage and expenses, and the card was used for this, and had “prior Cabinet approval.”
But Singh, providing the supporting bank statements yesterday, noted that several of Robinson-Regis’ card transactions involved the American Fertility Service at 115 E 57th Street Ste 500 in New York.
He also noted that Bitz N Pieces(New York) at Broadway, listed on the statement, is a leading wig and hairpiece emporium, according to Web site checks.
Christies’ Sothers, at 109 East 42nd Street in NY, is described as a jewelry store and Max’s Better Dresses at 851 2nd Avenue, NY, a women’s clothing store.
The bank statement also listed two cash withdrawals at the Independence Square ATM of FCB on May 23, 2006.
Item 7 on the list of 23 conditions between the Finance Minister and the cardholder states that the card is not to be used for private purposes or foreign entertainment.
Item 8 stipulates that no local cash advances are to be made with the card; however, cash withdrawals are allowed while on official overseas travel.
In excess
Item 9 states that the credit card limit must not be exceeded at any time without prior approval of the Minister of Finance.
The bank reserves the right to refuse such increases if the cardholder is in arrears by more than 30 days.
Unauthorised excess amounts are repayable immediately.
Item 15 stipulates that if there is an outstanding balance 30 days after the statement date, the Comptroller of Accounts will issue instructions to the relevant accounting officer to have amounts deducted from the next month’s salary up to the maximum of the net salary, any allowances and/or retirement benefits, until the total outstanding balance is repaid.
Singh said yesterday:
“The Hon Minister has indicated publicly that $26,000 and $176,000 were put on the card in order to pay for medical expenses, and that these expenses were approved by Cabinet, because Cabinet ministers were entitled to medical expenses.
“The credit card statement reveals a multiplicity of transactions of US$1,000 at the American Fertility Clinic in New York in June, 2006.
“
It is inconceivable that the terms and conditions of employment of a Cabinet Minister will provide for medical expenses for infertility treatment.” Singh pointed out that the 80th Salaries Review Commission did not provide for the latter treatment.
“In fact, neither dental expenses nor optical expenses are covered by the SRC.
“Use of taxpayers money to deal with the infertility of a minister is an obscene and blatant breach of public policy. “Use of the Treasury for such an intimate and personal procedure is no doubt abhorrent and disgusting to all right-thinking persons.
“No clear-thinking Cabinet could have allowed this.”
Saying that Robinson-Regis was a public figure paid by taxpayers, Singh called for her resignation:
“The data in the credit card statement demonstrates that Robinson-Regis has abused her ministerial office for which she must be held accountable.
“Purchase of the items in the statement represents a blatant breach by the minister of the agreement entered into with the Government.
“It represents use of taxpayers’ money for private purposes. “Section 8 of the agreement prohibits local cash advances, but notwithstanding this condition, the statement points to two cash withdrawals at Independence Square FCB’s ATM.
“One does not need to be a prophetess to see that once taxpayers’ money is used to fund infertility treatment under ‘medical expenses,’ then one might expect ministers to be funded for cosmetic surgery and erectile dysfunction treatments.”
Ministry cover-up?
Singh also said a Finance Ministry statement on Friday, explaining reasons for the card, had not denied the veracity and integrity of the contents of the Comptroller of Accounts’ report he spoke about in Parliament on Wednesday.
The Finance Ministry’s statement reiterated some of the Cabinet Note’s content on the rationale for the card, noting difficulties experienced by government officials when on official business travel.
The Finance Ministry’s statement also stated that the report Singh spoke about in Parliament was “dated,” and that “any anomalies that may have arisen have been addressed or satisfactory arrangements made to address them.”
But Singh said:
“With respect to Minister Robinson-Regis, there is an entry in the Comptroller of Accounts that states, inter alia:
“‘Minister to PS Minister of Finance dated 30/01/2007 awaiting response.’
“So the report is exposed some three months after that entry. The exposure of abuse of power and misuse of public office, some three months later cannot be regarded as dated.
“There can be no limitations on the abuse of ministerial power.”
Describing the Ministry’s statement as a cover-up, Singh added:
“The ministry’s statement states that ‘any anomalies that may have arisen have been addressed or satisfactory arrangement made to address them.’
“What are those arrangements. What were those breaches?
“The ministry must come clean, as this issue is pregnant with abuse of power. Why was the Visa Gold card account of the Planning Minister not provided to the Auditor General’s Department, notwithstanding their requests for the same?”
The Finance Minister’s statement on Friday had noted that the card facility was subject to scrutiny by the Auditor General
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dem really boldfaced yes..taking taxpayers money for she sperm shots
i ent understand the part bout the cash advance though..why didnt she just open up ah US$ account in NY like how Bas do in London?
even though she pt credit on the card ahead..doesnt that still get charged the rate as a cash advance?
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