AFC wants Public Accounts Committee empowered to summon persons

Last Updated on Friday, 12 January 2024, 22:12 by Denis Chabrol

AFC parliamentarians Juretha Fernandes and David Patterson.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) on Friday said it proposed a motion for the bipartisan parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to be empowered to summon former officials to appear before that body that questions the spending of monies from the coffers based on observations from the Auditor General’s reports.

“The PAC does not have the power to summon persons to appear before the Committee and we realise that and we do have that one going forward to the National Assembly and we are hoping to get the full support; so far no objection from the government members of the PAC,”  opposition PAC member, Juretha Fernandes told a news conference.

Former PAC Chairman, David Patterson said due to different opinions about whether the PAC could someone, for instance, who is overseas to appear before that transparency and accountability mechanism. Asked what penalties were being proposed, he said that would be the task of the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs after the National Assembly approves the motion.

Ms Fernandes said the issuance of summons to persons to go before the PAC would aid in the work of that body being up to date.

The opposition coalition of A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) and the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic are in a constant tussle over whether was using legal leverage to call off PAC sittings by not turning up. The Irfaan Ali-led administration had amended the rules to make PAC quorate only if two members of government, two members of the opposition and the chairman are present.