So, what’s supposed to happen at the next adjournment of the Senate Hearings? That’s what we asked Senate Committee Member Eamon Courtenay and Chairman Aldo Salazar, when they exited a post-mortem meeting. They told us that the Committee will hire an attorney, and after that, the Auditor General will be called upon again to give follow-up testimony.
Here’s what they had to say:
Hon. Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"I think the auditor general's report is quite comprehensive. We need for her to clarify on the record the procedure she had adopted. The way in which she reached her conclusions, we need for her to indicate to us the evidence that she had, the evidence that she did not get and that's one of the issues we'll be taking up the fact that the Senate will insist on getting those things and maybe having seen that she may want to change her report. We're at a very preliminary stage and I think that the auditor general's report and her evidence is going to be very helpful in terms of the long term, in term of what recommendation the committee will make."
Hon. Aldo Salazar - Chairman, Senate Select Committee
"I think the first day went well with minor exception. When I said that I was happy that the other two senators could join I wasn't saying that to sound nice, I really mean it personally that I'm glad they could attend. Had they participated from the beginning we would have not have the reason but a bit of a delay. As you see it was an abbreviated session and I think that those matters could have been addressed had there been participation from the beginning but having said that I understand that it's not a personal decision for them."
"We have decided to engage an attorney to assist with the procedure. We had some deliberations in relation to that so we're not able to say an exact date but we're going to engage the services of an attorney and after we've done so we'll then set a date. As you ask for the timeline I think that we want to move ahead as expeditiously as possible. We haven't set a date for the next session."
Daniel Ortiz
"Let's asked those ministers what they did and why they did what they did. When will get to that point?"
Hon. Aldo Salazar - Chairman, Senate Select Committee
"I cannot say exactly when we'll get to that point. The point of the inquiry is not to ask ministers what they did and why they did it. The point of the inquiry is to look at the entire report and to assess what may have gone wrong in the ministry and in the department and who ever needs to be interviewed whether it’s a minister, CEO individual we will get to that point. Right now we're in the very preliminary stages of the inquiry."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir the last time we spoke to you on this topic was when you exited after the Senate had passed the motion to bring the inquiry and you were sceptical of the level of inquiry, the level of transparency and independent matters that would have been conducted. Are you assured based on what you say today and from dialoguing with your fellow members that this process is indeed serving a good purpose?"
Hon. Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"I think the next meeting we have the next few meetings we have we will get the answer to that question. The information that was not provided to the auditor general must be provided to the committee. If we continue to get some type of frustration and stone walling by government operatives then we will know what next step we will take. At this point in time as far as I'm concern I have an open mind, I expect that they will be cooperation, I expect that people will come and attend and answer the questions but let's see."
As soon as the next adjournment date for the Senate Hearings has been announced, we’ll tell you what it is.
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