Issue No: 870; 21 June 2001

In a paid advertisement, Qarase said that he and his cabinet agreed to hire Corinne Mossop, an expatriate, on the advice of the regime's Minister for Social Welfare Adi Teimumu Kepa.

Mossop has been hired as a consultant for 4 months at a rate of $150 per day.

Government procedure clearly specifies that engagement of consultants has to be done by the Tenders Board if the project costs more than $10,000. The Mossop contract is for over $10,000.

The requirement of the Tender Board is that all such opportunities be advertised.

The Mossop project was not advertised.

Mossop had arrived in the country as a visitor, and stayed with the regime's Minister for Social Welfare, Mrs Kepa. Mrs Kepa then hired Mossop.

According to government sources, Kepa directed her staff that Mossop be hired as a consultant. Mossop also demanded that her contract be backdated to 1 April 2001. Mossop's work permit was approved last week. The government source states that the ministry sought legal advice from the Solicitor-General's office on the legality of hiring Mossop, as well as Mossop's demand that her contract be backdated to 1 April 2001. It is believed that the welfare ministry staff met with the Public Service Commission and the Ministry of Finance in which it was ascertained that Mossop did not have any official status with the Welfare Ministry. As such any work claimed to have been done by Mossop were without standing and no compensation could be claimed for this.

Neither the Solicitor-General's office nor the Office of the Auditor-General have commented on the breach of procedures.

Meanwhile, a multi-racial women's group has presented a petition to the regime against Mossop's engagement. The group demands that the job be given to local consultants, and that the payment not be made from the poverty alleviation fund.