Former Gordon House manager faces possible surcharge over personal use of gov’t vehicle

The former facilities and operations manager (FOM) at Gordon House could face surcharge action after being cited for using a 2022 Toyota Prado for his personal use over an extended period.

In a special audit report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis said the expenditure relating to the FOM’s unauthorised personal use of the fleet vehicle are considered improper payments. This, she said, ultimately resulted in a loss to the Government.

“Based on the foregoing, the AuGD (Auditor General’s Department) is reviewing the matter for possible surcharge action,” the report stated.

A surcharge can be imposed on public officers, allowing the Government to recover monies from person(s) found negligent in the exercise of their duties, resulting in a loss to the Government.

A review of the 2022 Toyota Prado showed that the vehicle was operated by the FOM and was not always used for official duties, in contravention of the Revised Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Policy (RCMVP).

The RCMVP states: “The government motor vehicles should only be used for official duties; therefore, on no occasion should these vehicles be used privately.”

The auditor general’s analysis of the transport logbook for the period June 20, 2024, to December 19, 2024, (a total of 183 days) showed that the vehicle was utilised by the FOM for 173 days, inclusive of weekends and public holidays.

Following further review, it was determined that this fleet vehicle was not parked at the Houses of Parliament at the end of the workday but rather, parked at the FOM’s place of abode during the night on 173 occasions.

The RCMVP stipulates that government vehicles should not be retained overnight or beyond the period of the specific assignment except in special circumstances where a vehicle is used to transport members of staff to and from work or for other situations that are justified.

The policy allows the accounting officer, which, in this case, would be the clerk to the Houses, to grant permission for the extenuating circumstances. However, she must satisfy herself of the continued safe custody of the vehicle during these specific assignments.

“We saw no evidence of correspondence granting the FOM permission to use the vehicle due to any extenuating circumstances, and no evidence was presented that indicated that the accounting officer had conducted the necessary assessment regarding the continued safe custody of the vehicle while in the possession of the FOM at nights,” the report stated.

In September 2025, the Houses of Parliament responded to the issue: “By memo dated August 15, 2025, the FOM stated that the vehicle use was conducted pursuant to permission granted by the clerk in recognition of extended official hours and the need for personal safety during late-night duties.”

However, the AuGD said no documentation was provided.

The special audit also highlighted that in only two instances did records at Gordon House indicate that the vehicle was either used to transport staff to work (Monday, September 9, 2024) or transport staff to their place of residence (Sunday, December 15, 2024).

Further, the auditor general’s analysis of the notations in the motor vehicle logbooks, the flexible work schedule of the FOM as well as Houses of Parliament’s management responses, suggested that a fleet vehicle was being used in a private capacity by the FOM to attend classes at The University of the West Indies (UWI).

“We identified 26 occasions wherein the vehicle logbook indicated that the FOM drove the said vehicle to the UWI (Mona) campus,” the report stated, adding that in 22 of the 26 instances within the period, “The Nature of Work” section of the logbook indicated that the purpose of travel was to attend “meetings”.

However, the specific purpose of the meetings was not provided.

The auditor general indicated that the Houses of Parliament has since taken steps to adjust some of the concerns raised in the special audit report.