'Catalogue of weaknesses' over funds for ethnic group - report
THE WELSH Govern- ment displayed an "alarming catalogue of weaknesses" in its funding to the All Wales Ethnic Minority Association, according to the chair of its own Public Accounts Committee.
A Wales Audit Office report this week concluded more than £500,000 would never be recovered from the former charity, which was based in Swansea's Kingsway, and that the management of funding its public money was "often weak".
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Naz Malik
The charity was wound up this year amid allegations of financial mismanagement, after an earlier report identified "significant and fundamental failures" in its governance.
It found its chief executive, Naz Malik, had claimed £9,000 as an advance on future expenses, to pay off his credit card, and used taxpayers money to pay a parking fine and fund tickets to rugby and cricket matches and gym membership.
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The Wales Audit Office report found there was no evidence of inappropriate political influence over funding decisions, but Darren Millar AM, who chairs Wales's Public Accounts Committee, said the latest report brought into question the effectiveness of how the Welsh Government distributed public money.
He said: "The report points to an alarming catalogue of weaknesses in the Welsh Government's overall management and co-ordination of funding and in its response to historical concerns about Awema.
"In light of our own interim report, Grants Management in Wales, which was published in August, the Public Accounts Committee will be considering how best to take forward any further inquiries into these latest findings – to ensure that lessons can be learned and these problems are prevented from reoccurring in the future."
Plaid's shadow minister for communities Rhodri Glyn Thomas said: "The important thing now must be to restore public confidence in the whole system of how various charities are funded by the Welsh taxpayer."
Welsh Government Permanent Secretary Derek Jones said they were already taking firm and decisive action to improve the management of grants to third sector organisations.
A Grants Management Project was established in September 2010. This involved the creation of a Grants Centre of Excellence to develop corporate processes and procedures, tools, guidance and other material.
Mr Jones CB said: "Grants form one of the Welsh Government's most important mechanisms for delivering Ministerial priorities and are making a real difference to the lives of people in Wales.
"The Grants Management Project was established to deliver improvements across the Welsh Government."
Comments
by GorsseinonJoe
Monday, October 22 2012, 9:37AM
“This is a classical case of people being wrongly accused of racism for highlighting issues where public money was being badly administered by an Asian.
The taxpayer of Wales has lost, at least, £500,000 and all those "racists" were proved right, Naz Malik was incompetent and it had nothing to do with the colour of his skin.
Public servants should not be so afraid of the unjust accusations that leads them to stay quiet or are afraid to expose those steal money from the public purse, very few in the minority group were assisted by Mr Malik but millions of taxpayers in Wales are out of pocket.”
by maxmin
Monday, October 22 2012, 8:02AM
“Sweetipiedav,
Many thanks for your good wishes. I was in the Gambia and it's amazing how much can be achieved with very little. Before we went we went round all the charity shops scrounging eye glasses, there is a great need of them there. I also managed to scrounge a load of those little comfort packets the airlines have, the ones with sewing kits, tooth brushes and tooth paste. To the airlines they are just giveaways but the hospitals out there really need things like that.
For the schools the urgent need was for supplies. We were told exercise books ,pencils and rubbers. When I mentioned biros I was told that they don't use them. They write in pencil, the teacher marks the work and then it is rubbed out so they can use the paper again - real re-cycling!
I have loads of photo's. If you want to see some sent me an email to presentationsunlimited@hotmail.com”
by maxmin
Monday, October 22 2012, 7:45AM
“It's quite funny really. My initial comment in answer to why there was such a catalogue of errors was that people today are afraid of criticising 'ethnic minorities' for fear of being branded racist, and I gave a shocking example where that happened in England recently.
So of course we had all the usuals who couldn't wait to say how wrong I was and immediately brand me racist - thus proving my point far better than I ever could. Well done chaps.
I wondered just how long it would be before the BNP marketing manager, Neathboy CLM managed to get a mention in for his favourite party - not long I see! I swear if the article was about ice cream he would manage to slip in a quick mention of his favourite party!”
by newsaffair
Sunday, October 21 2012, 9:28PM
“There are different reasons about what caused this scandal,.....greed, incompetance ,naevity,political position,fear,but mainly the mishandling by government of the Race Relations Act.
My view is that the Human Rights Act,has every thing to protect individuals,groups,and doesn`t look for colour,race or,creed.
To have too many laws,often running alongside each other,is itself confusing,and an indepth overview of them is long overdue!”
by Neathboy234
Sunday, October 21 2012, 8:43PM
“sochat this is not a race issue, it's a political one. Only yourself and your twin-brother/alter-ego maxmin are not seeing this(Wait for it your other twin's will be on here soon agreeing with U ha ha ha).
As far as being people being labeled a racist, my advice is if people don't like being labeled in this way then don't say racist things. The problem is of course racists never actually know when they are saying racist thing's, to put it frankly they are far too gone to see this.”
by sochat
Sunday, October 21 2012, 8:30PM
“maxmin is speaking the truth,and the resulting tirade from you lot is the reason why only the brave speak the truth.”
by Neathboy234
Sunday, October 21 2012, 7:16PM
“Lezz_T i'm sure u are right, same applies in the SE of England, there the only difference being it's the tory party that helps u get ahead”
by Lezz_T
Sunday, October 21 2012, 7:07PM
“The reason Malik was allowed to get away with it for so long had nothing to do with race, it was the fact he was a leading Labour Party member.
If you want to jump aboard the public sector gravy train in Wales, join the Labour Party.”
by Neathboy234
Sunday, October 21 2012, 6:55PM
“Dooyah i would have to fully agree. What maxmin has to say is straight out of the pages of the BNP. The odd thing is he keeps on saying i'm obsessed with the BNP, yet it is him who is singing from their textbook.”
by Dooyah
Sunday, October 21 2012, 5:59PM
“sweetiepiedav
Why apologise?
maxmin's comment of Sunday, October 21 2012, 9:57AM is racist.
maxmin's backtracking by reference to people in authority doesn't wash.”