THE contractor-general has requested that an audit be done into some aspects of the operations of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC).

At the same time, the contractor-general, Greg Christie, has reported on special investigations carried out into the procurement of activities of the Portmore Municipality, the Social Development Commission (SDC) and the Sports Development Foundation (SDF).

The Office of the Contractor-General sent the KSAC report to Auditor-General Adrian Strachan, with a recommendation that “certain actions be taken”, while the reports for the SDC and the Sports Development Foundation were submitted to Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller. That for the Portmore Municipal Council was sent to Local Government Minister Dean Peart, who also received a copy of the report on the KSAC.

Simpson Miller, the former local government minister, ordered a probe of the KSAC, the Portmore municipality and the St Catherine Parish Council in August last year to determine whether their operations were within the central government’s financial guidelines.

Simpson Miller gave no reasons for ordering the investigation, but prior to the announcement Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie told reporters that an anonymous letter alleging wild overspending and cronyism at the KSAC was being circulated.

A statement issued by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) after Simpson Miller asked the contractor-general and auditor-general to carry out the probe, pointed out that Strachan did periodic audits of the KSAC and other local government councils.

The JLP said that the audit requested by Simpson Miller “was calculated to mislead the public”, as the auditor-general had reported on the KSAC for the 2003/2004 financial year.

A ministry spokesman confirmed yesterday that Minister Peart had received the reports from the contractor-general, and that he was perusing it.

At the same time, Jamaica House said Prime Minister Simpson Miller had instructed her permanent secretary to ensure that the SDC and the Sports Development Foundation hold procurement workshops, as recommended by the contractor-general.

Christie told the Observer that his office was in the process of monitoring the procurement activity of the SDC and Sports Development Foundation when it was decided to upgrade it to an investigation.

However, he said that he would not comment on the reports until they were tabled in both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament.

“I would prefer not to comment until the matters have been tabled in Parliament. Once they have been tabled I will put them on our website,” he said.