“Some questionable conclusions” — Premier criticises some Auditor General reports

Auditor General Sonia Webster

By MERRICK ANDREWS, Online News Editor

(JTV NEWS) — Premier and Minister for Finance Natalio Wheatley said while the Auditor General’s Report on the Claude Skelton-Cline contracts is “pretty straightforward” others are questionable.

The Auditor General’s Report said the three contracts awarded to Claude Skelton-Cline were not a value-added move but rather employment for the contractor.

Skelton-Cline, a talk show host and pastor, was issued the contracts under the Andrew Fahie administration. He was being paid over $16,000 monthly.

Addressing the issue in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, Feb. 21, the Premier admitted that issuing the contracts to Skelton-Cline was a mistake.

“…. Yes, this contract that we speak about, these contracts for Claude Skelton-Cline did come to Cabinet, and I did support them, and I am here to say to you, Madam Speaker, that I believe that I believe my support for these contracts was a mistake, and I believe that the former Premier made a mistake in engaging Claude Skelton-Cline with these contracts,” Wheatley said.

However, the Premier said he disagrees with the conclusions of “some other audits” done by the Auditor General (Sonia Webster).

“This audit [Skelton-Cline contracts] is pretty straightforward. I’ll have to say we have some other audits coming where the Auditor General comes to some conclusions that I disagree with, and that’s ok because the Auditor General herself is a human being, and as a human being her conclusions are not infallible,” Premier Wheatley said.

Premier Wheatley during the House of Assembly sitting on Feb. 21, 2023.

He added: “She is capable of human error and her conclusions can be questioned. Her report is her report but her conclusions can be questioned. And in some other audits, she has some questionable conclusions in my view. In this audit, it is pretty straightforward.”

Webster was appointed the auditor general in January 2018 by then governor, Augustus Jaspert, who made the appointment in acting in accordance with section 92 of the Virgin Islands Constitution and with the advice of the Public Service Commission.

A press release from the Department of Information and Public Relations, announcing Webster’s appointment, reported that, “As Auditor General, Ms. Webster’s duties will entail but not be limited to planning, coordinating and supervising the activities of the Audit Department to ensure all audits are completed and are done on a timely basis.

“Ms Webster will audit Government accounts produced by the Treasury Department, and inquire into and audit the financial records of Government departments and ministries plus statutory boards and trusts.

“She will evaluate compliance with financial legislation and regulations; provide assistance and advice to accounting officers in departments on their accounting and control system in order to improve processes across Government; prepare various reports and memoranda, as required, to ensure information gathered is being shared and reported on; and act as an advisory member of the Public Accounts Committee.

“Ms. Webster served as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer with the Alliance Accounting BVI & Alliance Management Consultants, from July 2016 –January 2018; Office of Auditor General, Government of the Virgin Islands, at various periods from July 1988 – November 2015 having served as Assistant Auditor, Senior Auditor, Deputy Chief Auditor and Auditor General, where she managed the BVI Government’s Audit Office.

“Ms. Webster is a member of the International Compliance Association and holds Bachelors in Accounting (BSc) University of the West Indies; Bachelors of Law (LLb) University of London; a Diploma in Financial Crime Prevention (DipFinCrime); and CPE training in management, accounting, auditing and other areas of relevance locally, regionally, in the United States and the United Kingdom.”