Appeal to publish 2003 report on race body Awema
CALLS have been made to publish a nine-year-old report on alleged financial irregularities at an under-fire Swansea- based charity.
The All Wales Ethnic Minority Association (Awema) is being investigated following a critical report which alleges misuse of public funds, nepotism and bullying of staff.
The Welsh Government is due to publish the results of its own investigation tomorrow, which follows a decision by the Welsh European Funding Office's (Wefo) decision to withhold £3 million of funds from Awema.
The Welsh government's permanent secretary Dame Gillian Morgan has said Awema should have been rated "high risk", and now some AMs have called on First Minister Carwyn Jones to release a report into Awema from 2003, which has never been made public, and which may have recommended funding to Awema be stopped.
Peter Black AM said: "I welcome the Welsh Government's intention to publish the 2012 Awema report, but it is imperative that they publish the 2003 report so that we can be assured that the Welsh Labour Government weren't covering up for 'one of their own', as has been suggested.
"The people of Wales have a right to know if their taxes are being spent appropriately. The expected report on Thursday will hopefully shed light on the Awema debacle but the 2003 report will give a fuller picture of what has been going on in a charity in receipt of substantial amounts of public funds."
First Minister Carwyn Jones said the Welsh government has "nothing to hide", and told colleagues in the Senedd of plans to hold a "lessons learned" inquiry.
"Its findings will be made public, as will the 2003 report," he added.
The allegations in the recent report include claims its chief executive Naz Malik approved his own pay rise without authority and paid off credit card debts worth £9,340, which was claimed as an advance on future expenses.
Dr Rita Austin said criticisms of Awema had become a "stick to beat the Welsh government", and that attacks on it were a "time honoured way of debasing and devaluing" black and ethnic minority people.
Public accounts committee chair Darren Millar, who has already called for police to investigate allegations of financial corruption at Awema, said he was astonished at Dr Austin's comments.
He said: "We have to remember that some of the criticism made of this organisation has actually come from the black and ethnic minority population in Wales themselves. So it would be astonishing for them (Awema) to be playing the race card. There are still lots of questions about the future of that organisation, lots of questions about the way it's been managed and questions about financial impropriety which need to be addressed."
nino.williams@swwmedia.co.uk
48 Comments
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by Hotroll
Friday, February 24 2012, 10:27PM
“John 225, BMEWales? Gym membership, fines paying off? Expensive meals ? would like to hear the explanations maybe you could enlighten us ?”
by Hotroll
Friday, February 24 2012, 10:19PM
“Here for your edification...http://tinyurl.com/6ls6tjl”
by BMEWales
Thursday, February 09 2012, 8:11PM
“Jim-Donkey....Why do you only think its CEO only ..dont you think finance director and board is equally liable..becasue report clearly says Finance Director was the only person who dealt with Finances........”
by RoseLily1
Thursday, February 09 2012, 7:15PM
“In the light of the latest news, does anyone know if those involved and mentioned in the allegations of financial corruption are still being allowed access to the AWEMA offices? In most organisations where there has been even a whiff of allegations, good HR practice means that you keep employees or trustees that might be involved in any pending investigations away from the workplace. This is for their own benefit as well as the organisation as they might have access to documentation and records that might be required for any pending or potential investigation.”
by Jim_Dunckley
Thursday, February 09 2012, 6:18PM
“The fact that certain people have hijacked this thread with attempts to defend AWEMA before the full report by WAG and the Big Lottery fund was published shows them to be AWEMA apologists. Now that the report has been released it outline "significant and fundamental failures".
Presumably these apologists will be up here now rubbishing the authors of the report, as they seem to have gone all out to attack the Press, Assembly opposition, Paul Dunn, and just about anyone who dares to raise a critical voice about what is effectively financial corruption, pure and simple.”
by mick1book
Thursday, February 09 2012, 6:02PM
“I see from reports in the media that there are concerns that the investigators did not
interview Dr Paul Dunn, who produced the report which gave rise to these allegations in
the first place. I can understand that feeling. In carrying out their investigations the
team had access to Dr Dunn's report and extensive supporting material, including
interview notes, and took the view that this, together with the other material which they
gathered and the interviews which the team itself conducted, gave them a sufficient
evidence base on which to reach a clear conclusion. And of course it was in everyone's
interest that the work was completed as swiftly as possible.
However, Dr Dunn may well have valuable information which the South Wales Police or
the Charity Commission will wish to take into account in their further investigations.
Comment by Dame Gillian Morgan”
by BMEWales
Thursday, February 09 2012, 5:57PM
“Mick1 where do ABOMA including Finance Director and Finance Assistant stand after that.....80% report is about Them .....”
by RoseLily1
Thursday, February 09 2012, 5:36PM
“Another Dragon's Eye tonight 11.35 Duration: 30 minutes
Join Felicity Evans as she takes a fresh look at politics through the Dragon's Eye, including the Welsh government's decision on allegations of financial corruption at troubled equalities body AWEMA.
Will be interesting to see if more revelations about inappropriate expenses comes out tonight like Gym membership?”
by mick1book
Thursday, February 09 2012, 4:32PM
“matters now handed to police and charity commission”
by john225
Thursday, February 09 2012, 11:56AM
“What I'd like to know is: IF THE OFFICIAL REPORT FINDS NO EVIDENCE OF "CORRUPTION" (that people like 'Mick1Book' claim) THEN WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN NEXT!!? Lots of accusations have been banded about. The point is to substantiate their legitimacy!
I have been trying to research a little bit about those people who have made various claims and have found thr following:
1. Mr Saquib Zia (the Finance Director) has been suspended by the current trustees. I would really like to find out why and what the current Trustees believe he has done. If financial problems are identified in the report out today then he will probably/possibly be under investigation.
2. Ms Sylvia Bobrowska (the Finance Assistant) who was dismissed by the CEO. Again, if financial questions are raised in the report then she (like this guy Saquib Zia) will probably have serious questions to answer.
3. The 'resigned' trustees: i) the former Vice Chair, Sibani Roy, - who I saw on a previous TV report who was very odd indeed and was almost incomprehensible in what she said. There were also questions raised about her conduct on not wanting to be accountable for the decisions she took to the new Chair who was elected; ii) the former Treasurer (Mr Steve Matthews) who strangely resigned just before the Finance Director (Zia) was suspended by the charity; iii) and Sam Singh (not sure what his role was) but obviously did a runner as the issues were being resolved. I wonder why?
4. Finally, this Paul Dunn guy (who did the so-called 'independent report') - apparently the current Chair (Dr Rita Austin) has asked him for his terms of reference and letter of contract & his CV to do the work and can't find anything at all.....despite speaking to him apparently and asking him directly. What the HELL is that all about? He hasn't backed up his accusations (which he just repeats) and now can't even provide a basic letter of contract for his services. Those Trustees who have resigned obviously did a really shoddy job. They've jumped on the anti-Awema band-wagon, but if there is no "corruption" found then they will have shown themselves to have been totally incompetent and weak Trustees. It may well be that they were trying to protect their own skins by allowing the muck-raking to go ahead.”