There is no avoiding the reality that the widespread fraud and corruption unearthed in the audit of the programme occurred under his watch and he did nothing to avert, detect or halt it. What makes this matter even more disturbing is that Life Sport was supposed to rescue at-risk young males in 33 communities across the country from falling into crime. It now appears that it was a source of rather than a solution to criminal activity.
Since Sport Minister Anil Roberts refuses to resign over the Life Sport controversy, it is now up to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to fire him from her Cabinet.There is no reason why the Prime Minister or anyone else should wait for the conditions Mr Roberts gave for resigning to be fulfilled. He said he would step down if it were proved that the programme had been funding terrorists, criminal gangs, a militia and a "sprawling palace in Carapo."
In specifying the outrages which would have to be proved to have happened before he would resign, Mr Roberts set too high and specific a bar.The issue has been referred to the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and acting Police Commissioner for possible filing of criminal charges. But the Ministry of Finance audit has already shown that whether or not such charges are successfully pursued, the minister presided over at best a mismanaged, huge outpouring of public funds that were not properly accounted for.
In some cases taxpayers' money was distributed by the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars to people who did nothing to earn it, to people who did not exist, at centres that did not exist either, and for work that was not done at all or was being done by someone else.
Insisting that as a minister he was not in charge of the "day-to-day management," nor did he "micromanage" the programme, is no excuse. By that logic the minister is not actually responsible for anything his ministry does. There is no avoiding the reality that the widespread fraud and corruption unearthed in the audit of the programme occurred under his watch and he did nothing to avert, detect or halt it. If ministerial responsibility applies to anything at all it applies to this.
What makes this matter even more disturbing is that Life Sport, a two-year programme incorporating sport, life and trade skills, was supposed to rescue at-risk young males in 33 communities across the country from falling into crime. It now appears that it was a source of rather than a solution to criminal activity.
Given the widespread nature of the breaches committed, cleaning up the Life Sport mess requires immediate, firm and decisive action against all involved, from the top down.
A government that prides itself on being transparent, honest and accountable should not tolerate what is, to give it the most charitable possible interpretation, at best complete incompetence and at worst the outrageous plundering of public funds and flagrant corruption.
It is disappointing that Mr Roberts, who just a few months ago was only too willing to take full credit for Life Sport as his brainchild and boasted about its alleged successes, now refuses to accept any blame for its massive and shameful exploitation.
That being the case, the onus is on the Prime Minister to remove him, as she has removed errant ministers in the past, and for failings that were far less costly and far-reaching.