Fifteen boxes of financial records are now in the hands of the Auditor General’s Office, and they could help determine whether the Ministry of Defense followed the rules or crossed important lines. The documents, retrieved from the ministry as part of an ongoing audit, span five years of spending and decision-making. Auditor General Maria Rodriguez told News Five today that her team is now combing through the records, looking at several key issues, including alleged conflicts of interest, value for money, and whether procurement procedures were bypassed. But first on the list is the question of whether elected officials had improper ties to suppliers. Rodriguez says the findings will help the Briceño administration decide what comes next. Here is how she explains it.
Maria Rodriquez
Maria Rodriquez, Auditor General
“Speaking with the team, I realized that decisions needs to be made. Our decision makers need to make decisions. So we are prioritizing any alleged conflict of interest, get that out of the way and focus on the overall purchase and management of stores at the Ministry of Defense.”
Paul Lopez
“Can you explain or divulge how that process works in terms of vetting conflict of interest?”
Maria Rodriquez
“So, the regulations are very clear. The constitution also asks that all public officers do not engage in any perceived conflict of interest. You have to understand that it does not have to exist. If it is perception, then you also have to protect yourself from that perceived conflict of interest. So we are looking at it based on what the constitution is saying. We are also receiving legal support to ensure we do not say anything that is not legally correct.”
Paul Lopez
“How do you weigh your work against what some would argue is evident conflict of interest in the public domain?”
Maria Rodriquez
“I saw that. I think I read that post that it is evident conflict of interest. I will prefer to wait for what the evidence is saying. I think it is unfair to anyone to disclose and say it is outright conflict of interest. We should wait and see what the evidence says. An evidence based report cannot be disputed at any point in time.”
Paul Lopez
“It is not an evident conflict of interest when a minister’s ministry awards contracts to siblings, for example?”
Maria Rodriquez
“So, again, the constitution clearly says that if you are a public officer and in public image, you should not place yourself in a condition that can be perceived as a conflict of interest. So I am going to leave it at that.”
Auditor General Says Defense Audit Is in Capable Hands
Auditor General Maria Rodriguez says the first report on the ongoing Ministry of Defense audit should be ready by the end of September. But as her team sifts through five years of financial records, another question arises: how prepared are the auditors handling this high-stakes review? Rodriguez says she has full confidence in the team assigned to the job, adding that she personally conducts the final quality control checks before any report is released.
Maria Rodriquez
Maria Rodriquez, Auditor General
“Let me say, the lead auditor is a certified fraud examiner. She holds that CFE from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Houston Charter and all her examiners that are working with her have a bachelor’s degree in accounting. So, it is a well put together team and she has a master’s as well.”
Paul Lopez
“So how confident are you in this team?”
Maria Rodriquez
“I am confident because all my staff are committed officers and they know what is expected of them. I am very confident. Nothing passes out of the office without passing through me. So I do the final quality control check.”
Paul Lopez
“So you believe they will be able to catch all the fine details that one might argue a lesser experienced auditor might not be able to capture.”
Maria Rodriquez
“I hear that. Nobody comes to this office bringing all the knowledge of an auditor. Everybody comes new. Even those that are here what, I don’t know who you are referring to, but I am here twenty-six years. I did not come being an auditor. I became an auditor here. I learnt everything from this office. So to disclaim someone because they just came to the office, I think it is quite low. Everybody needs the experience and be out there. I must say that there is some misinformation and I would even carry it to disinformation because it seems intentional, I do quality control of the work. I have twenty-six years of experience. I am also a certified fraud examiner. So nothing, even if something missing them, I will not miss it. So I do not have the power to take anybody to court. I do not have the power to punish anyone. What we do is recommend that the matter be forwarded to police based on what is found. Or it could also be forwarded to the public service commission for disciplinary action. But this is in the hands of the CEO who needs to take on the recommendations. But I don’t have the power to go to court. We serve as witnesses though. Because it was announced, we had to immediately begin retrieval of records, fearing that when we being the records might not be there. Because it was announced, we had to immediately go in and retrieve records. So from that day we have been retrieving records. It is part of the audit process. We meet with different people. We meet with different stakeholders, key players in this process. So, the list is getting big.”
Auditor General Stands Firm as Critics Doubt Defense Report
When the Auditor General completes her report on the Ministry of Defense audit, it will not go straight to the public. Maria Rodriguez says the document will first be submitted to the ministry’s CEO, Francis Usher, and copied to the Financial Secretary and Accountant General. But while that process unfolds, some critics are already questioning whether the findings will have any teeth. Rodriguez is dismissing claims that the report will amount to “less than nothing,” saying her office’s work is thorough, independent, and important.
Maria Rodriquez
Maria Rodriquez, Auditor General
“Have you seen any of the report that I have tabled?”
Paul Lopez
“I think I followed the last one when you went before the JPAC.”
Maria Rodriquez
“So, that is just one example. All our reports have created impact. We have not created a report that does not have impact. We have not submitted a report that have not created impact. Go back and I wont even ask you to go back before 2025. Go back from when I started. 2015, 2016 reports created impact. 16-17 created impact and I hope that you get a chance to look at the 2017, 2018 which will also create impact. Som, when we do our audit, we audit to create impact. We don’t just audit to simply say you did not follow a regulation. And I know that the expectations are high. I know that for sure, but I say trust the process, trust the work.”
Paul Lopez
“Will you all be asking questions of the Area Representative for Belmopan Oscar Mira?”
Maria Rodriquez
“As long as he is included in the paper work documentation, and I think you know he is, he will certainly be requested to come to an interview.”
Paul Lopez
“Will you all be asking questions of former Minister Marin?”
Maria Rodriquez
“Definitely, as long as they are implicated they have to come and follow through the audit process.”
Paul Lopez
Will you all be able to locate all these businesses named and include them in the audit process?
Maria Rodriquez
“That is part of the audit process, we need to follow the money.”
By late September, the public may have a clearer picture of what auditors found inside the Ministry of Defense. Auditor General Maria Rodriguez says her office is preparing its first report based on its review of the ministry’s financial records.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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