APEC security funds accounted for: Baki

Police Commissioner Gari Baki today said all funds allocated to the Joint Security Task Force for the APEC security operations were expended for their intended purposes and accounted for.

“As I have mentioned in previous statements, I welcome the audit of funds allocated to and expended by the JSTF,” Commissioner Baki said.

He stated that as far as he was concerned, all allowances for members of the security forces engaged for APEC 2018 security operations have been paid.

“I requested for a total of K21 million to cater for all members of the security forces. This was to cater for K200 per member for 18 days. Following the rampage to parliament the government released the money in two tranches. The first payment of K10.8 million was made on 21 November 2018 and the second and final payment a week later.

“As far as I am concerned, I delivered a successful security operation for the 2018 APEC meetings. Furthermore, as Commander of the JSTF I have paid all allowances owed to the members of the disciplined forces.

“What the members of the disciplined forces are now demanding is the additional K300 which the government promised to pay them after they caused extensive damages to the National Parliament.

“I was not a party to this arrangement. As far as I am concerned this is extortion money. However, I understand that the National Executive Council approved the K300 additional allowance. But I have not been notified whether funds have been paid or not.

“As one would appreciate, allowances for members of the security forces are not paid to Gari Baki as Commissioner of Police or Commander of the JSTF or the Police Department for that matter but are paid by the Finance Department directly into the individual accounts of each of the members involved in the security operations.

“It is rather absurd to infer that the allowances were paid to me as the Commander of the JSTF. In light of such insinuations I will now be calling upon the Auditor General’s Office to audit all funds allocated to the JSTF,” Commissioner Baki said.

His statement follows at the back of the APEC Minister’s response to the outstanding JSTF allowance.

Justin Tkatchenko had initially said: “The responsibility to pay the allowances for these joint security forces is a job of the commissioner of police.

“I just hope that the police commissioner can resolve the issues with the allowances. That is his responsibility to ensure that those soldiers, police and Correctional Services, and others under his command get paid.”

Author: 
Press release