PSC looks in discrepancies in Fiji Foreign missions

Submitted by TemoL on Tue, 07/09/2010 - 12:01pm

The Public Service Commission will await word from the Foreign Affairs Ministry on reported discrepancies by Fiji's Foreign Missions before further decisions are taken.

PSC Permanent Secretary, Parmesh Chand said some major discrepancies have emerged in some of Fiji's foreign missions following the proper assessment of the Auditor General's Report for 2007 by the Public Accounts Committee.

He said they would await word from the Foreign Affairs Ministry before deciding whether it would end up before the PSC Disciplinary Tribunal.

It has been highlighted by the Accounts Committee that public funds totaling $62,761 was paid by the Fiji High Commission in Papua New Guinea for the then High Commissioner's son's fees for Saint Joseph's Nudgee College in Brisbane.

The then High Commissioner's son's fees was paid in Australian dollars using public funds which was also contrary to the Public Service Diplomatic and Consular Services Regulations.

The Accounts Committee said the former Head of Mission paid back $12,000.

However it has been noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ceased all the recoveries without any explanation when he was recalled in March 2009.

A case in relation to the Fiji High Commission and Embassy in Wellington has also come to light.

Based on the 2007 Auditor General's Report, it has been revealed that the spouse of the former High Commissioner's medical treatment costing $2,350 was paid from public funds and approved by the High Commissioner.

Long distance calls with no proper justification were recorded for Fiji's foreign missions in London and Tokyo.

It is now confirmed that the explanation for long distance calls costing $3,523 has been sought from the officers concerned in the London mission and the recovery was being implemented.

It has also been revealed personal calls and other extravagant expenditure was incurred by the staff of the Tokyo mission totaling $11,929.