STARLINK RED FLAG

Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis has flagged as a breach of procurement rules actions taken by senior Cabinet minister Daryl Vaz in relation to the purchase of 200 Starlink devices valued at $12.12 million.

In a compliance audit tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, Monroe Ellis reported that Vaz, acting in his capacity as co-chair of the Relief and Recovery Oversight Committee (RROC), improperly directed a disaster relief agency to engage a single supplier for the procurement. The auditor general said the move violated established procurement procedures, which require such actions to be initiated by the head of the procuring entity.

According to the audit, correspondence showed that the procurement was initiated by a letter from Vaz dated November 13, 2025, addressed to the director general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPEM). The letter instructed that payment be made for 200 Starlink Mini 4th Generation devices to a supplier identified in the report as ‘Supplier No. 1’.

The ODPEM subsequently submitted two invoices from the supplier dated November 11, 2025, totalling $12.12 million before tax.

Monroe Ellis stated that Vaz’s involvement breached Section 20 of the Public Procurement Act, 2015, which assigns sole responsibility for procurement activities to the head of the procuring entity.

“This means only the accountable officer or head of the entity is legally empowered to initiate procurement, and there is no provision in law, which allows the minister/co-chair (ROCC) to approve or initiate commitments, select suppliers, or to give any directive to ODPEM for payments,” the auditor general said.

The audit further revealed that Vaz’s November 13 correspondence also indicated that the distribution of the devices would be carried out through the Office of the Commissioner of Police “under my directive and accountability oversight”.

Documentation reviewed by the auditor general showed that the devices were delivered to the Office of the Commissioner of Police on November 14, 2025. However, formal approval for the procurement was not granted by the ODPEM director general until November 20, 2025.

Despite this, the ODPEM began preparing the required Internal Emergency Procurement Requisition Form on November 19, 2025 – five days after the devices had already been delivered. Monroe Ellis noted that the form appeared to have been created to retroactively formalise the procurement process.

While the form indicated that a single supplier was contacted, the auditor general said no documented justification was provided for the selection of ‘Supplier No. 1’.

“The sequence of events, particularly the receipt of the devices prior to the initiation and approval of procurement records, indicates that the procurement process did not comply with established requirements and resulted in the circumvention of key controls intended to ensure transparency, competitiveness, and value for money,” the auditor general said.

Monroe Ellis also highlighted that the ODPEM was unable to provide evidence regarding the condition of the Starlink devices, including details of the devices in its inventory records or information on the distribution and monitoring of these assets.

In January 2026, the ODPEM stated that it “is taking the necessary steps to adhere strictly to procurement and management protocols, ensuring that approvals are granted prior to commitments, and that inventory and distribution records are maintained and available for audit”.