By JULIA DAIA BORE
THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Department of Finance’s management of funds from Jan 1, 2000 to July 31, 2006 has a new secretary.
He is Stephen Raphael, the inquiry chairman and commissioner Maurice Sheehan said yesterday.
Mr Raphael’s name was among other new staff whose names appeared in a Government gazettal notice dated Feb 28, 2008.
The gazette appeared at the office of the CoI into the Finance Department late last Friday, said Mr Sheehan by telephone yesterday.
Because of its lateness, Mr Sheehan has yet to confirm the new membership of the CoI.
The retired Supreme and National court judge also announced last Friday by a public notice to the media that the inquiry will resume tomorrow.
Mr Sheehan however, added in that statement that the resumption of the CoI would depend “upon confirmation of budgeted finance and staff appointments”.
This is yet to be authorised by the office of the Chief Secretary.
Mr Sheehan said that although the gazettal notice had reached his office, he has yet to get an official notification and confirmation of the new staff and budgeted finances.
Sources with the Department of Treasury and Finance said that K3.5 million of the K5 million budgeted for this year’s CoI was released in early January to the office of the Chief Secretary for the CoI to settle its overheads incurred last year. The Department of Treasury and Finance are however, still awaiting the details of the costing from the CoI before it can release the balance of K1.5 million of the 2008 K5 million allocation.
But it seems that the CoI has yet to receive the K3.5 million from the office of the Chief Secretary to begin the inquiry process, according to CoI insiders.
The National was not able to verify these claims with the Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari.