By Sue-Ann Wayow

PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is questioning the possible connection of a relative of former prime minister Stuart Young to a company hired to audit state institutions.

On Monday night, she said former finance minister Colm Imbert failed to allow the Auditor General to conduct audits in key institutions such as the Central Bank but instead, another company whom she named BDO, was allowed.

Speaking at a United National Congress (UNC) report at Penal, Persad-Bissessar lambasted Imbert for previous decisions made.

She said, “Remember when minister Imbert and his people refused to allow the Auditor General to audit the records of the Central Bank about $3 billion missing because they killed the whole BIR because they didn’t want anybody to find out what they were doing.

“And guess what, they hired some private firm. Now I am told, it is some company called BDO, they were hired to do audits. Not just here. We are seeing in the Cabinet coming every week, audited statements of several state organisations by something called BDO.”

Persad-Bissessar said she was “asking for a friend” if BDO was connected to the brother of Stuart Young, Angus Young.

“You left the Auditor General out! That is the duly independent person in office to audit your records, brought in some company, I am told and I am asking, BDO, any relationship towards Stuart Young- the one-day prime minister and to his brother Angus Young.”

According to the Jamaica Stock Exchange website, Angus Young has served as the Managing Director of BDO Financial Advisory Services Ltd, which represented BDO’s corporate finance and transaction advisory interest in Trinidad & Tobago.

Angus Young in 2023, was appointed CEO of NCB Capital Markets Limited (NCBCM), the National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) announced.

In June, Persad-Bissessar instructed Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo to authorise Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass to audit the Central Bank’s accounts.