KINGSTON, Jamaica — Embattled former Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Grace McLean, is to return to the Ministry on January 20 but in her substantive position as Chief Education Officer.

This is after a surcharge had reportedly been instituted against her and former permanent secretary in the Education Ministry, Dean-Roy Bernard, following revelation that the ministry was unable to account for $124 million of taxpayers’ money.

McLean was sent on paid vacation leave following the revelation to facilitate the investigation.

Read: Pressure on McLean

Read: McLean sent on leave as AG calls for police probe into questionable $124m payment

A source at the ministry said McLean’s return means that Dr Kasan Troupe, who is Acting Chief Education Officer since September 2019, will revert to her position as Director of Regional Education Services for Region One.

The current Acting Permanent Secretary, Maureen Dwyer, via a memo, informed Human Resources Department of the Ministry of change and instructed the Department to make the necessary arrangement to accommodate the personnel move.

The move has a knock on effect in that all individuals who were promoted temporarily to fill positions that were made vacant by McLean’s promotion as Acting Permanent Secretary, will revert to their substantive positions.

At Wednesday morning’s post-cabinet press briefing Education Minister Fayval Williams stated that surcharge action had been instituted against McLean and Bernard. However, it was later refuted by the Ministry of Finance.

The Cecil Cornwall-chaired Joint Committee on Tertiary Education (JCTE) received the monies from the ministry over a 32-month period.

Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis had made the recommendation in her report to Parliament in October on the allegation that both senior officials at the education ministry had failed in their fiduciary duty.