By JULIA DAIA BORE
THE Treasury will not release any funds to the Commission of Inquiry into the Finance Department until it receives a cash-flow report.
“The money will be released after the 2008 accounts are opened and after getting the cash-flow report from them on how they will use this money this year,” Treasury Secretary Simon Tosali told The National yesterday. He said that as far as the Treasury was concerned, it was ready to allocate the money to the commission.
“This is a normal procedural requirement expected from all Government departments and its agencies,” he said.
“There is no intention by Treasury to hold this money up as we also feel that it is important to get this inquiry going”.
He confirmed that the Government had allocated K5 million in the 2008 Budget for the inquiry
Last Tuesday, chairman Maurice Sheehan adjourned the inquiry after only 20 minutes because, he said, funding had not been received.
He said they would reconvene the inquiry as soon as funding was received.
He said they had requested for K10 million to carry out the inquiry over the next six months.
He also said that they needed another K3.54 million to pay for costs incurred the previous year.
Mr Sheehan also said that some of the newly-appointed members of the commission had “moved on” but he did not clarify whether they would still be available or that new members would have to be appointed.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Sheehan said the questions raised by Mr Tosali should be referred to the relevant authorities.
Asked to elaborate, he said “they would be the administrators … the office of the Chief Secretary”.
He added: “I am an appointee of the Government, waiting and sitting around for funds to be released, to do my job”.