Senior Investigative Reporter
shaliza.hassanali@guardian.co.tt
A wad of documents involving unusual financial activities at the Curepe Presbyterian School Parent Teachers Association (PTA) is now engaging the Integrity Commission’s attention.
The documents were sent to the commission by a school parent in a March 12, 2024, email.
In a March 26 response to the parent’s email, the commission acknowledged receipt of the letter, which it stated was “currently engaging the commission’s attention.”
The complaint was sent to the commission regarding alleged financial mismanagement by the PTA. It was sent to the Integrity Commission under its jurisdiction to probe “any person exercising a public function (is) in contravention of the Act ... or is committing or has committed an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The email was sent after Kevin Ramsahai resigned as president of the school’s PTA. He claimed, one of the reasons for his action was that his executive was never given any handover or direction upon assuming office last year.
“The PTA’s bank account has yet to be handed over to the new signatories ... myself as president,” Ramsahai wrote in his resignation letter.
The active signatories on the account remain two previous executive members.
When the new executive was voted in 2023, Ramsahai said a commitment was made and minuted to complete and be made available to parents, the external audit of the 2022-2023 year.
Ramsahai said at the time of submitting his resignation the school’s financials had been completed since January 2024 but the external audit remained pending.
The letter stated the active signatories on the account remain the previous treasurer and past president.
A copy of Ramsahai’s resignation letter obtained by Guardian Media stated that the PTA under his short tenure was left “to flounder and in some cases reinvent the wheel when trying to obtain information on past practices and modes of operation.”
He said to clarify conflicting information or where there was a lack of response, he approached the Presbyterian School’s Board for guidance.
Ramsahai stated that the interpersonal relationships had deteriorated to a state where communication was poor at best.
“PTA executive comprises select members whose direction and ideals did not blend with my own and from conflicts arising we could not come to a resolution,” he said.
At a March 8 meeting, Ramsahai said, a motion was brought forward to dissolve the PTA.
Ramsahai said he decided it would be better for all to resign than to see the school without a PTA to support it for the remainder of the academic year.
During his short stint, Ramsahai shared with parents the financial outcome of the school’s 2024 Carnival fundraiser expense in a report.
He said, “I hope this raises your future expectations of the PTA and the school where accountability is concerned.”
Last October, the school’s PTA elected Ramsahai.
Guardian Media was told that at the PTA’s annual general meeting, several issues were raised, among them the delivery of the audited PTA accounts for the period 2022-2023 which was promised by the previous executives.
“I have asked for these reports on an annual basis, but I have been met with arrogance, obfuscation and a general unprepossessing attitude by persons holding elected office in the PTA as well as persons in the employ of the public service,” the parent stated in his letter.
Documents showed the income received by the PTA as of September 30, 2023, was $317,520.63
After expenses were tabulated, it showed a balance of $106,604.55 at the end of September 2023.
A 2023 restaurant bill of $2,567.83 was also among the documents shown.
In January, one parent filed a report with the Fraud Squad regarding strange spending.
Also, several Freedom of Information (FOI) requests were sent to the Ministry of Education seeking information about the PTA’s operations.
One FOI request queried if one teacher was a salaried staff member of the school.
Questions were also asked if the said teacher had been permitted by the Chief Education Officer to conduct classes and if they had been a registered teacher with the Education Ministry.
The FOI request also sought documents relating to the contract awarded for the completion of the Curepe Presbyterian School’s hall.
Contacted on his resignation and the PTA’s account not being handed over to him after being elected, Ramsahai declined to comment.