Gov’t reclaims $600k EPS funding paid to empty seat of NE Guadalcanal

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Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury Mickinnie Dentana has admitted that funds were deposited into the account of the unoccupied seat of North East Guadalcanal but it had not been withdrawn.

The $600,000 allocated to North East Guadalcanal has been a subject to public debate after the former MP for the constituency lost the seat via a petition in the high court early. The leaked list released by TSI showed that the constituency received $600,000. TSI had since called for an explanation from the government.

Chairman of ESP, who is also the PS of Finance, Dentana told the weekly government radio program on COVID-19 today that even though the payment was made it was not release from the bank.

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 “We could not (stop it) so it was paid through. Luckily we identified there was a payment out for north east Guadalcanal so we informed the commercial bank which withheld the payment. I don’t have any updates but I have instructed my staff to return the money to government account (stimulus package). The fund has not been released from commercial. It is secured and should return back into the government account,” he said.

The former MP for NE Guadalcanal was Jamie Vokia. Voters for the constituency are heading to the polls this Wednesday to elect their new leader.

News@SBMOnline2020