Former NET executive director defends integrity

 

Former Executive Director of the National Education Trust (NET), Marcia Phillips Dawkins, is maintaining that she has done nothing wrong after the Integrity Commission recommended disciplinary action against her. 

 

She is accused of acting in breach of the entity's procurement procedures as well as the Public Procurement Act and its regulations.

 

Speaking with Radio Jamaica News on Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Phillips Dawkins refuted the IC's findings that she was sent a request for quotation to a supplier bearing the procurement manager's signature without her knowledge.

 

"No procurement activity was carried out by me. All I did was to prepare the request that would have been sent to the consultant for him to return the information to her, the procurement manager. She created the form that was sent. So I did not create the form. She created it and put her signature on it. All I did was to attach the terms of reference and email it to the people. But it went from my email. So that is why this whole hullabaloo about fraud and what not. It is not that I have stolen anything or tried to steal anything. The documents I sent to the consultant was copied to the procurement manager herself," she insisted.

 

Mrs. Phillips Dawkins claimed the Integrity Commission's investigation was lacking.

 

"I am not sure what they investigated since they did not even know that NET is not a procuring entity. NET supports the Ministry of Education in procurement activities. But all procurement is done on behalf of the Ministry of Education and authorised only by the Permanent Secretary," she explained, adding: "I could not have created a contract or a purchase order or anything like that from NET because NET was never allowed to do that."

 

The findings of the IC's investigation report concerning allegations of impropriety and procurement irregularities at the NET were tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

 

The Integrity Commission's Director of Investigations, Kevon Stephenson, noted that while Mrs. Phillips Dawkins is no longer employed to NET, she remains in the employ of the Ministry of Education. 

 

In relation to the commission's recommendation that disciplinary proceedings be taken against her, Mrs. Phillips Dawkins said the decision lies with the Ministry of Education to which she is employed.