Sahadeo, NLCB deny UNC lotto allegations

Lee Sing dismissed Mark’s claim that he hired a private security firm to do background checks on its staff. Explaining that the NLCB has no staff of its own and that its employees come from the Statutory Authorities Services Commission (SASC), Lee Sing said it was standard procedure for all financial institutions (such as NLCB) to screen new employees, and no such checks were run on current employees. Sahadeo and Lee Sing indicated that Mark was fully aware that contrary to his (Mark) allegations, the NLCB had submitted all of its audited accounts from 1999 to 2003. The minister said that the auditing for this period was done by private auditing firm Pannell Kerr Foster, and one of the reasons for the delay was the limited staff attached to the Auditor-General’s office. She added that Government is currently looking to increase the complement of the Auditor-General’s staff and find ways to improve the efficiency of that department.

Lee Sing said astronomical growth in the State enterprise sector in recent years coupled with a lack of resources at the Auditor-General’s office may have resulted in audits not reaching Parliament when they should. He said the NLCB sought permission to use a private auditing firm to handle its 1999 to 2003 audits, and he now has the first draft of NLCB’s 2004 audit in his possession. Sahadeo said Mark was misleading the population when he claimed a firm called Intelisis was paid US$75 million to investigate donations to the NLCB under the former UNC regime, noting that the actual figure was US$1.2 million. The minister added that the NLCB was more into sponsorships than donations.

On Mark’s assertions that NLCB’s corporate partner G-Tech was corrupt, Sahadeo reminded him that it was under the UNC that the commission paid to G-Tech was raised from 4.5 percent to eight percent. Describing Mark’s allegations as "pure irony," Lee Sing said it was under the UNC that G-Tech (which first came to TT in 1994) had its five-year contract extended to seven years with conditions that were hitherto unheard of. He said G-Tech’s contract is now being re-negotiated and the population can be assured that the new contract will see a reversal of fortunes that are more favourable to them.

Lee Sing said neither he nor any other NLCB director had unlimited access to the company’s finances and the NLCB was not a "rogue statutory authority." The Senate passed the National Lotteries (Amendment) Bill 2005 on Tuesday without amendments.