As a prelude to this article, two Saturdays ago would have been the date of my retirement as Auditor General, had I not chosen to demit office ten years earlier. My premature departure was due mainly to the Administration’s lack of support for my work, precipitated by its extremely hostile reactions to the results of my investigation into the illegal exportation of dolphins, an endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
A leading figure in the Office of the President was involved in what became known as the “Dolphin Scam” with the knowledge of another senior official who gave a written a “no objection” and who argued this did not constitute an approval. In a telephone call to me around the same time, the latter claimed that he had confirmed and reliable information that I was about to “disturb the peace of mind” of the Office of the President. He then exclaimed that they were “bracing for the onslaught”! When I protested to the highest level of the State, I was greeted with a barrage of public attacks and insults.
I recall my last day at work when I presented my 2003 report to the then Speaker of the National Assembly. On reflecting on my career and specifically the difficulties I had to endure during the preceding 15 years, I was so overcome by emotions that I was unable complete my presentation. This date heralded the beginning of the 2005 Great Floods which I
