Former CMU worker details university’s accounting, banking systems

A former senior member of staff of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) is expected to continue testimony regarding the school’s finances on Wednesday, with information on the now-defunct CAP-YES programme, in the fraud trial of former CMU boss Fritz Pinnock along with former education minister Ruel Reid and their co-accused.

The witness, appearing before Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday, testified how money came into and left certain bank accounts controlled by the university between 2016 and 2019, including accounts for payroll, CAP (Career Advancement Programme) and CAPYES (Career Advancement Programme – Youth Empowerment Services) programme, among others.

The department in which they worked was guided by the FAA (Financial Administration and Audit Act) and PBMA ( The Public Bodies Management and Accountability Act), the witness said, adding that it oversaw payroll, including salary deductions for CMU employees; accounts receivable, which dealt with collecting money owed to the school; and accounts payable, which dealt with any money the school owed to vendors or debt obligations.