Nouvobanq bank accounts in the Electoral Commission’s name |08 June 2018
Justice Bernardin Renaud sets the record straight
In a letter to clarify allegations regarding two bank accounts in the name of the Electoral Commission (EC) at the Nouvobanq which former chairperson Hendrick Gappy said he inherited, Justice Bernardin Renaud, Mr Gappy’s predecessor, has set the record straight.
Yesterday the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) in the National Assembly continued its public hearing to clarify issues on the EC which started last week.
In the morning the FPAC met members of the EC as well as its former chairperson Mr Gappy to inform them of the content of two letters in relation to the two bank accounts at the Nouvobanq which other members of the Commission affirmed they were unaware of.
FPAC members first heard the contents of the letter as the right of reply of Justice Bernardin Renaud which he addressed to the FPAC chairperson Wavel Ramkalawan through the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr Nicholas Prea after Mr Gappy had mentioned his name twice while answering questions related to the two accounts last week.
The other letter was from Nouvobanq in reply to clarifications Mr Ramkalawan sought regarding the opening of the accounts and it revealed that Mr Gappy was the one who opened the accounts in the EC’s name in February 2000 and January 2006.
According to Mr Renaud’s letter the allegations of Mr Gappy gave the impression that the two accounts already existed when he, Mr Gappy, took charge of the commission.
In his letter which Mr Ramkalawan read publicly, Justice Renaud put the record straight on the issue.
In the letter dated May 29 Justice Renaud stated; “the impression conveyed to the public by SBC TV and radio was that I was the one who initiated the sort of accounting system referenced in the Constitution. The consultation mentioned that the two bank accounts were opened in the names of the electoral commissioner and the electoral commissioner/elections respectively with one signatory to each account.
The actual situation was as follows:
In March 1992, I was appointed as the chief electoral officer to put in place a credible electoral system;
- for the election of the members of the constitutional commission
- for the holding of the first and second referendum
- for the holding of the presidential and the National Assembly elections in 1993 when the Constitution was approved.
In January 1993, I was also appointed as the chairman of the constitutional commission at the time the late justice Andre Sauzier was the director of elections and the late Derrick Ah Lock was the chief registration officer. The latter also maintained the accounts. The late Justice Andre Sauzier opened one bank account at the Nouvobanq. Justice Andre Sauzier and Mr Ah Lock were joint signatories to the said bank account. I had nothing to do with the opening of the said bank account. I was never in possession of any cheque book in relation to the said bank account. I was not a signatory to the bank account. In May 1993 I took over as the director of elections and maintained the same accounting arrangements except that my name was substituted for that of Justice Andre Sauzier as a signatory to the said bank account while Mr Ah Lock continued as the other signatory to the said bank account and he continued to maintain the account. The said bank account was closed for good around October 1993.
I would like to place on record that the impression conveyed during the FPAC consultation that the sort of accounting system of the present election commission was inherited from my time was and is absolutely incorrect.
I never at any time held the position of electoral commissioner and as such could not have used that title to open any bank account.
The position of electoral commissioner was created by the Constitution in June 1993 and the 1st electoral commissioner to be appointed was the late Mr Gerard Ah Shung in late 1993 or early 1994.
His term of office expired around 1998. In November 1993, I had already been appointed a judge of the Supreme Court.”
Nouvobanq also in its letter to clarify the accounts by the electoral commissioner stated that the first account was opened by the electoral commissioner on February 1, 2000, and the second account -- elections account -- was opened on January 16, 2006.
The accounts were opened by the electoral commissioner Hendrick Gappy who was the sole signatory from date of account opening to February 14, 2018.
Following these information, Mr Ramkalawan said the FPAC will hold its meeting and has called on the auditor general to carry out an audit, following which they will meet again with EC members.