McLeod exposes major URP corruption, says those responsible will face the consequences

Labour Ministers Errol McLeod and Rudy Indarsingh. Indarsingh joined the labour ministry on Monday and will be responsible for the URP

Labour Minister Errol McLeod said Wednesday he is putting his life on the line by exposing fraud and corruption in the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP). However, he added that it is a risk he is prepared to take.

McLeod said investigators have bogus salaries amounting to nealy a quarter of a million dollars that had been sent to various bank accounts of URP workers.

The minister was speaking at the formal launch of URP Community Projects initiative in Princes Town. He did not provide names but gave reporters some details of the alleged fraud.

One person received $53,235.50 in salaries for six fortnights of work, he said noting that the average URP workers on,ly earns $700 a fortnight, which means that person's maximum salary over six weeks would be $4,200.

He said the overpayment was not isolated. Another person, he said, collected $46,457.96 and another was collecting $8,590.14 in one fortnight - the salary of 12 people while another was paid $9,379.

“There is quite a list... When we talked about ghosts in the program some time ago there were many condemnatory comments all aimed at those of us who took up office eight months ago when these problems have been existing for a long time,” he said.

The minister said 35 workers within the URP’s Quality Control Unit have been fired “because for the most part their names were on the payroll but either they did not work, they did very little work or they just could not be found at work.”

The minister stated that the findings so far represent "only the tip of the iceberg" and said there is more to come. And he promised that those who have defrauded the system will have to face the consequences.

“I doubt that the country, and more so the electorate who supported the People’s Partnership, will want us to put a blind eye to this. I do not think the country will ever forgive us if this were to go unnoticed. These are only a few of challenges facing my ministry.” McLeod said.