SUATT, which was established under the Manning PNM administration, was under the command of Brig Peter Joseph who was fired by the current administration.
Ramlogan was answering a question from Opposition Leader Keith Rowley about the Joseph dismissal.
The AG said despite the injection of $1 billion into SAUTT, Joseph had “failed miserably” to stop spiralling crime.
He noted that 3,335 people were murdered from 2002 to 2010. SAUTT had a staff of 700 and only one third of them worked in intelligence gathering, conducting investigations and/or executing operations, Ramlogan said.
He added that the other 450 were doing support and administration, with the result that there was a “woefully low return on investment”.
Ramlogan said Joseph mismanaged the organisation, pointing to a report by consultant Major General Cameron Ross that found a lack of clear policy guidelines in SAUTT.
He said the report noted that a lack of accountability saw civilian contracted employees illegally exempted from paying income tax amounting to $10 million, National Insurance ($15 million) and health surcharge ($675,000).
“SAUTT was used to acquire items with no tendering process and at exorbitant prices. Selected employees were allowed to freely procure goods and services without proper supervision,” Ramlogan stated, noting that they often bypassed the line Ministry’s permanent secretary and the Central Tenders Board (CTB) to pay large sums to contractors without any approval being recorded on file.
He added, “In fact, several purchases and projects worth millions of dollars were undertaken without the knowledge of SAUTT’s Finance Department” noting that there was no kind of auditing done on these purchases.
Ramlogan alleged that SAUTT held $41 million in a ‘contingencies fund’ without accountability, paid $10 million to build a Cumuto facility without CTB approval and spent $7 million on a vendors facility in East Port-of-Spain.
“185 vehicles purchased for SAUTT’s use. However, an additional 183 vehicles were rented from companies (that) were set up for the purpose of renting vehicles to SAUTT,” Ramlogan revealed.
He had more to say. “Three missing containers of security equipment. The inexplicable loss of an excavator which seems to have vanished into thin air, ‘poof!’, resulting in a multi-million suit against the State,” he said.
He alleged that Joseph retained a SAUTT vehicle even after his removal from the unit. In addition, he said some SAUTT staff had set up dummy companies to supply equipment.
With respect to hiring, Ramlogan said several persons were employed by SAUTT even after they failed polygraph tests.
He also had disclosure about a nurse who was the wife of a deputy director of SAUTT. Ramlogan said the woman was hired at a monthly salary of $20,000 with perks that included a laptop, cell-phone and a SUV. The post was never advertised, he said.
He made the point that crime continued to escalate although the state had wasted $1.8 billion for staff and equipment.
Ramlogan pointed out that two blimps bought for $99 million did nothing to curb crime or to do “real time” surveillance to prevent crimes occurring.
Ramlogan said Joseph mismanaged the organisation, pointing to a report by consultant Major General Cameron Ross that found a lack of clear policy guidelines in SAUTT.
He said the report noted that a lack of accountability saw civilian contracted employees illegally exempted from paying income tax amounting to $10 million, National Insurance ($15 million) and health surcharge ($675,000).
“SAUTT was used to acquire items with no tendering process and at exorbitant prices. Selected employees were allowed to freely procure goods and services without proper supervision,” Ramlogan stated, noting that they often bypassed the line Ministry’s permanent secretary and the Central Tenders Board (CTB) to pay large sums to contractors without any approval being recorded on file.
He added, “In fact, several purchases and projects worth millions of dollars were undertaken without the knowledge of SAUTT’s Finance Department” noting that there was no kind of auditing done on these purchases.
Ramlogan alleged that SAUTT held $41 million in a ‘contingencies fund’ without accountability, paid $10 million to build a Cumuto facility without CTB approval and spent $7 million on a vendors facility in East Port-of-Spain.
“185 vehicles purchased for SAUTT’s use. However, an additional 183 vehicles were rented from companies (that) were set up for the purpose of renting vehicles to SAUTT,” Ramlogan revealed.
He had more to say. “Three missing containers of security equipment. The inexplicable loss of an excavator which seems to have vanished into thin air, ‘poof!’, resulting in a multi-million suit against the State,” he said.
He alleged that Joseph retained a SAUTT vehicle even after his removal from the unit. In addition, he said some SAUTT staff had set up dummy companies to supply equipment.
With respect to hiring, Ramlogan said several persons were employed by SAUTT even after they failed polygraph tests.
He also had disclosure about a nurse who was the wife of a deputy director of SAUTT. Ramlogan said the woman was hired at a monthly salary of $20,000 with perks that included a laptop, cell-phone and a SUV. The post was never advertised, he said.
He made the point that crime continued to escalate although the state had wasted $1.8 billion for staff and equipment.
Ramlogan pointed out that two blimps bought for $99 million did nothing to curb crime or to do “real time” surveillance to prevent crimes occurring.
SAUTT hired 33 British police officers and paid them $35 million a year with salaries ranging from $42,000 to $86,000 per month. Their perks included free use of housing and vehicles, allowances for meals, risk displacement and travel.
Rowley described the statement as “a voluminous diatribe” and asked why the Government settled a financial severance package with Joseph.
Ramlogan said the State settled with Joseph to prevent any court matter in which sensitive issues pertaining to National Security may have been made public.
Rowley described the statement as “a voluminous diatribe” and asked why the Government settled a financial severance package with Joseph.
Ramlogan said the State settled with Joseph to prevent any court matter in which sensitive issues pertaining to National Security may have been made public.
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