THE competition watchdog executive criticised in the auditors’ report has hit back at the Economic Development Committee, accusing them of ‘bureaucratic amnesia and bad governance’.
Saying that he acted in good faith and in accordance with the terms of his appointment, JCRA chairman Dr Patrick McNutt rebutted the report’s findings.
Angry that he had not been given an opportunity to comment on the report before it was finalised and subsequently leaked, Dr McNutt said: ‘The JCRA has had to operate in a political vacuum in terms of governance, but we did so judiciously by producing and following good in-house corporate governance principles modelled on best practice for an office or regulation.
‘No directions or guidelines relating to any of the specific issues identified in the leaked audit were issued by Economic Development to the JCRA.’ Under such circumstances, he said, the JCRA conducted itself in a wholly appropriate and judicious manner, guided by members’ respective terms of appointment, by in-house principles, by submitting annual reports to Economic Development and by the publication of the strategic plan.
Dr McNutt said that the leaking of the report may have seriously compromised the JCRA’s political independence and he called for a full investigation.
Article posted on 28th June, 2004 - 12.00am
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