BELMOPAN, Fri. Aug. 31, 2018– Since the word came out of the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the president of the  National Institute of History and Culture (NICH), Sapna Budhrani, has been suspended, we have attempted to get an official word from government about the status of Budhrani.

This afternoon, following the meeting of the House of Representatives, Minister of Education, Hon. Patrick Faber, confirmed that Budhrani has been placed on suspension by the Cabinet, pending the outcome of an external audit.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow also weighed in on the controversy at NICH and its embattled president, Budhrani.

PM Barrow told reporters, “As she said, obviously, the letter placing her on leave had not yet been received by her. I hope it was already dispatched, but she also made a valid point. When she is placed on leave, she doesn’t cease to be president of NICH. She is president on leave. I want to make clear that this is not about seeking to punish this lady. The board has come out in her defense and the board is entitled to do that.”

PM Barrow further said, “The Deputy Prime Minister has been defending her all along and he is entitled to do that. Cabinet had to act in the way it did because of the allegations raised by the internal auditor. There is no doubt that those allegations resulted in media focus, media scrutiny. Not to put too fine a point on it, a scandal, perhaps of relatively minor proportions, but a scandal nevertheless.”

Prime Minister Barrow went on to remark, “Cabinet can’t sweep that under the carpet or take anybody’s word for it who might have an interest to serve that no, the lady is as pure as the driven snow. So, Cabinet said simply, just let her go on leave until you can bring in the external auditor to inquire into these allegations.

“Once … there is no real merit in the allegations, then the lady can in fact resume her duties and her position, if that is the finding of the external auditor.”