Chandradat Chintamani

The Vice President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana (ICAG), Chandradat Chintamani personally believes that there is a conflict of interest between the Finance Minister and his wife who works at the Auditor General’s Office. 

Chintamani, however, said ICAG could not possibly censure Minister Dr.Ashni Singh or Audit Director, Gitanjali Singh unless the organisation receives a complaint. “We are aware of what has happened at the office of the Auditor General but unfortunately we cannot execute an investigation on our own,” he said.

Up to late Friday morning, the institute had not received a complaint. He explained that a formal complaint can be made by even an ordinary person.

Dr. Singh recently declined to comment on the matter. 

Concerns have been raised that the Audit Director would have to give an opinion on her husband’s work. 

Chintamani said if a complaint is made to the United Kingdom-based global organisation of professional accountants, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), which would then forward it to ICAG for an investigation. The institute is obligated to file the outcome of its probe with the ACCA.

Though no complaint has been made to the institute to date, Chintamani personally opined that based on information publicly available, there is a conflict of interest between the Singhs. 

“Based upon what I know, as a person as Chandradat Chintamani, my position is that it is deemed as a conflict of interest,” he told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com). 

He declined to discuss the implications, saying he preferred to leave that for any investigation that would be conducted if a formal complaint is made. 

Experts say that accountants found to have been in situations of conflict of interest can be reprimanded including barred from practising for a period of time. 

Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc. (TIGI), the local affiliate of Transparency International, has already heaped criticism on Mrs. Singh’s appointment because of the conflict of interest. Political parties have also voiced similar concerns.

The issue hit the limelight after the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) green-lighted the appointment of several Audit Directors of the Auditor General’s Office. That decision was taken during the absence of the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) committee representative,, Trevor Williams. His absence gave the government representatives a majority. 

However the AFC says it will be taking steps to have that decision over-turned.