Caribbean News

Money mismanaged in TCI Sports Commission scandal

Published

8 years ago

July 26, 2016

The now defunct Sports Commission was horribly managed and this forced its shut down.

During recent Public Accounts Committee meetings at Parliament, it was exposed in an audit report that hardly any record was kept of monies going out of the coffers of the entity which was set up as a statutory body, with Alvin Parker as its Director.

Parker has already been found culpable by a special tribunal, Magnetic Media has learned, but he has appealed the case which charges him with mismanaging public funds to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Alvin Parker is on administrative leave during this situation and though the Commission has been dismantled, he continues to receive a salary from TCIG and others have been absorbed in a new entity managing sports, back under the Ministry of Education.

The erratic financial management decisions at the TCI Sports Commission were exposed in an audit and includes findings where staff was loaned money, but there was no reporting on the loans; where reimbursements were made for claims without receipts and other reasonable evidence that personal money was spent and needed to be paid back and missing documents including no budgets, no bank reconciliation statements and no register of fixed assets.

Blank cheques were left signed, almost $50,000 reimbursed to the suspended Director, conflicts of interest where Parker’s business partner allegedly also got money from the Commission, where payment was made for things the Sports Commission did not receive; disorder when it comes to security staff logging hours, without a system the audit exposed that anyone could claim any amount of hours and inflate time actually worked and scrutiny was sorely lacking for this publicly funded body.

In 2009-2010, there were 662 transactions but 312 totaling over $123,000 were without proper documentation; by the next year, 2010-2011 the same continued and there were 228 of 605 transactions undocumented adding up to over $234,000; and in 2011 to 2012 again, more of the same as the transactions not documented were 28 and they totaled, over $173,000.

The recommendations exposed that while the TCI Sports Commission was certainly operating way out of the bounds of a responsible organization; no one was watching or noticing which allowed the risky practices to continue for at least three years.

Caribbean News

Barbados recognizes Palestine as sovereign

Published

7 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

Barbados has made a huge diplomatic move, recognizing Palestine as a sovereign state, as announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kerrie Symmonds, according to a report from CBC News Barbados on Saturday April 20. This now aligns Barbados with other UN Member states which also recognise Palestine.

Caribbean News

Haiti death toll rises

Published

7 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

Haiti’s death toll is now up 53 percent with more than 2,500 people killed from January through March 2024, compared to the same time last year. This was reported by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), on Friday April 19. The organization expressed that gangs have changed their tactics, now targeting public institutions and important infrastructure such as the main Airport. Most of the violence is reportedly in the Capital Port Au Prince.

Caribbean News

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS SHINES AS A PREMIER DESTINATION AT THE 2024 SEATRADE CRUISE GLOBAL CONFERENCE

Published

23 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Shanieka

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) –April 11, 2024—The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, led by Commissioner Joseph Boschulte, Assistant Commissioner Alani Henneman, and Deputy Commissioner RoseAnne Farrington, traveled to Miami, Florida, to support Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and other local partners agencies for the 2024 Seatrade Cruise Global Conference.

To kick off the week-long event, the Department of Tourism sponsored the highly anticipated Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) barbecue, which was hosted by Governor Bryan.

Revered as a steady leader in the Caribbean tourism industry, the USVI delegation, which also included the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands Port Authority, West Indian Company Limited, Magens Bay Authority, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Government Employee Retirement System, showcased the territory and its growing accessibility around the cruise industry to key operators and businesses.

“Cruise has been and continues to be a leading entryway for visitors into the territory, and Seatrade allows representatives from the USVI to interface with and share pertinent updates needed to continue fostering positive relationships throughout the industry,” explains Commissioner Boschulte.

Commissioner Boschulte was featured on the Caribbean Spotlight panel moderated by renowned industry leader and FCCA CEO Michelle Paige, who referenced the Commissioner being named the 2023 Caribbean Tourism Executive of the Year by Caribbean Journal and shared how exceptional the publication’s acknowledgment of his accolades are. Paige referenced Caribbean Journal’s spotlight paragraph reading, “No Caribbean destination has seen more growth in the last three years than the U.S. Virgin Islands, which kicked off a full-fledged tourism renaissance just after the onset of the pandemic and hasn’t looked back. And so much of that growth can be directly tied to the expert stewardship of Boschulte, who helped craft an innovative, flexible response to the challenges of the pandemic and has continued to drive the USVI’s performance with a data-driven, creative approach to modern tourism.”

Commissioner Boschulte and Deputy Commissioner Farrington joined Governor Bryan for meetings with leading cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Corporation & plc, amongst others, to discuss continued partnerships, expansion opportunities, and industry updates.

As the global cruise industry continues to restabilize following challenges incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Thomas and St. Croix experienced a 13% growth in 2023 over 2019, with West Indian Company Dock, Crown Bay Dock, and E. Abramson Marine Facility welcoming more than 1,600,000 passengers from 495 total calls for the year. With a 58% year-over-year passenger increase from 2022 to 2023, the USVI continues to grow and is projected to experience another 5% increase in cruise passenger arrivals in 2024.

Commissioner Boschulte also highlighted the remarkable success of the USVI and Caribbean region, stating, “I am proud to see the Caribbean’s appeal continue to captivate travelers. Our collaborative efforts with partners like FCCA and the Caribbean Tourism Organization underscore the unity of our region, ensuring unforgettable experiences for visitors while highlighting the unique strengths of the U.S. Virgin Islands. With a safe, welcoming destination and a shared commitment to tourism, we embrace our role as an integral part of the Caribbean community.”

For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands, please visit https://www.visitusvi.com/.