Mix-up forces PM to flip-flop

The Director of Audit Paul Allsworth has reportedly received an extension to his term of office in a dramatic turn of events, which started off with a dismissal and threat of police investigation.
A cone-of silence now seems to have descended on the incidents of last week, which started with a Cabinet decision on Tuesday to sack the Director. The Cook Islands Herald has been told that a Submission had been put to Cabinet requesting outstanding payments to the Director of Audit be approved. This hazy submission apparently referred to outdated information, which had already been dealt with previously. Unfortunately, a mix-up ensued with the Director coming out on the losing end.
The Herald has since learned that the paper recommending the payment was not done by Allsworth himself but by Cabinet Services which raises serious issues as to what is happening in the Office of Prime Minister. The Herald has also been advised that after realizing a mistake had been made and that there was a misunderstanding by Cabinet Services, the PM was informed of this anomaly. However, the damage had been done as the PM had already affected the dismissal notice to Allsworth and was referring the matter to the Police to investigate.
On realizing there may well have been a mistake, the PM called an urgent Cabinet meeting last Thursday to rectify Allsworth’s earlier dismissal notice and it is believed that it was rescinded based on new information provided to Cabinet. The Director’s term is believed to have now been extended by a further three months, up to September.

Herald Issue 554 09 March
- Norm exposes Trio of Doom
- Briefs from PM’s media conference Tuesday
- Tourism Industry ponders $5 million draft strategy
- Norman George resigns from Cook Islands Party
- Letter of Resignation from CIP
- Norman selfish says Prime Minister