IMPACS refutes allegations against it and its executive director

http://www.caricomimpacs.org/ The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) has denounced allegations against it and its executive director that were made in the Sunday Express newspaper dated April 17, 2011. In a media statement, the IMPACS Secretariat said, “The legal implications of this matter are now being considered in the appropriate quarters.” IMPACS is a regional institution staffed by nationals of nine CARICOM members. The agency is part of a corporate governance structure comprising the conference of heads of government, the Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE); a Security and Policy Advisory Committee (SEPAC); and the CARICOM Security Management Committee (CSMC). The Secretariat said the CSMC coordinates the administrative and financial oversight of IMPACS and its sub-agencies and it would have received the unqualified reports from three audits conducted in 2007, 2008 and 2009 for presentation to the Council of Ministers. “Requests for the conduct of subsequent external financial audits have been challenged by the continuing unavailability of the requisite resources. Efforts are being redoubled to address this outstanding activity at the earliest opportunity,” the Secretariat said. It added that except for interim short term assignments to complete critical projects, the agency’s recruitment program has been suspended since early 2009. “Since its inception in 2006, the Agency has and continues to adhere to the management and operational procedures as approved by CONSLE and set out in the agreement establishing IMPACS in 2006. "Its accountability to this governance structure continues to be demonstrated during its routine operations and as was evident during the hosting of the International Cricket World Cup Tournament 2007, the Fifth Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 2009 and the ICC World T20 in 2010,” the Secretariat said. “Notwithstanding these challenges, IMPACS continues as mandated,” the Secretariat said. This mandate includes research based policy formulation for anti-crime and security initiatives, provision of corporate services, regional border management support, strategic intelligence and analytical support.  All these functions are available through IMPACS Headquarters, the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) located in Barbados, and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre (RIFC), respectively. “Nowhere in the infrastructure of the three entities resides any “spy” capacity. As a matter of fact, the administrative and financial arrangements for all elements of the framework were the subject of an extensive administrative review in 2010, the report of which was received by the CONSLE and is pending consideration by the Conference of Heads,” the Secretariat said. “IMPACS remains committed to its mandate as articulated in the inter-governmental agreement establishing the framework, and in supportof the protocol signed by member states which establishes security as the fourth pillar of the Community and which further formalizes the regional security framework,” it added.