In another example of white collar crime in The Bahamas, an ongoing investigation into the affairs of the Education Loan Authority reveals a number of questionable, possibly criminal, activites.
In an exclusive front page article, The Tribune newspaper reports that they have seen documents revealing that an ELA official reportedly was paid a $10,000 per day fee without authorization, over $300,000 was spent in one day without supporting documentation and lavish parties were held at the house of a family member of an ELA senior official.
With all the other sexual perversion and rampant corruption that has been discovered in the Ministry of Education, there is little wonder why the National Grade Average is near failing.
Education officials have been too busy milking the system, enriching themselves and raping children to concentrate on their jobs.
Desmond Bannister, the no-nonsense Minister of Education, says he has spoken with the auditor general who is unable to provide any comments on the allegations.
There appears to be a complete lack of control and no transparency in the dealing of the ELA which has an operating budget of over $2.5 million per year.
Accusations have been made that officials at the Education Loan Authority are thwarting efforts by auditors to get to the bottom of the money squandering.
The Tribune reports that ELA Chairman, Lowell Mortimer and Deputy Chariman, Hubert Chipman were either unavailable or had no comment. Board member Yvonne Isaacs hung up the phone on a reporter.
Apparently, the last time the ELA completed an audit, which is supposed to be done annually, was in 2007.
The FNM government does not seem to be too interested in completing an audit before the next general election as it could reflect badly on them.
