Henry Usher Says Audit Needed to Determine Facts in Mira Contracts Controversy

Questions persist over the government contracts awarded to members of the Mira family, and today, Minister of Public Service Henry Usher says the public deserves answers.  Speaking to reporters this morning, Minister Usher, acknowledged the concerns being raised, but indicated that the most effective way to establish the facts is through a formal audit process.  He also noted that without an audit, he is unable to make a pronouncement on the matter or the procurement process.  

Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman: “So I’m just saying that let the investigations be carried out by the necessary departments that will carry out the investigations. If an audit needs to be done in that particular Ministry then let the audit be carried out But I can’t make a pre-judgment today standing when that has not been done yet. It would be an audit it would be an audit that would need to be done either by the audit department internal audit department of the government or by the auditor general. I don’t know what the Auditor General’s schedule is like this year. Each year the Auditor General puts out a schedule of audits that that department will do but certainly I would suggest that an audit be done so that we the public can get the answers that you say they are demanding. And I agree with you the public wants to know exactly what happened. You know I can only speak for me and I’m a very hands-on person I want to know what is happening in the ministries or the portfolios that I have responsibility for. So I make it a point to make sure that for instance we have public service week next week and we have the awards happening. There’s a group that deals with the awards. We want to make sure that we get value for money. We want to make sure that when we are procuring the items either the pins or the certificates or the venue that where the award ceremony will happen that we get value for money. And we do get reports on that from time to time, the CEO gets that report and that report is also shared with me. So I can only speak as a type of work that or the type of oversight that I carry out to make sure that whatever is purchased or procured at the Ministry of Public Service is done in a way that is in accordance with the financial regulations.”

Reporter: So is it questionable to you that over $100,000 for one contract would have been split into so many payments under $10,000?

Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman: “You’re asking me to answer a question when I don’t know the details and that is not a fair assessment or a fair way to ask a question.”

Reporter: Which means that it’s been out there and it’s not of interest to you to follow it. 

Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman: “Well, it is of interest, it is of the public’s interest. But would I go into another ministry and do an audit?  No, I don’t have that responsibility to do. That is done, as I said, either by the internal audit department or by the auditor general’s department. Now you’re saying that should the vendor have sent multiple invoices at such a value well that’s a question that the vendor would have to answer.”

Reporter: Do you consider it should be stopped now like unu send for the whole thing.I mean that’s only proper? 

Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman: “I think that there’s no reason for them not to send it if they’re providing the goods that they said they would provide.”

Minister Usher’s comments come amid growing attention on hundreds of payments reportedly made to vendor Jenny Shubra Mira, the sister of former Minister of State for Defence Oscar Mira. Additional records have shown as many as 44 invoices paid out in one day in September 2025 to the minister’s brother, Brian Mira, totalling to over four hundred thousand dollars.  The matter has also drawn the attention of opposition figures, trade unions, and civil society groups, several of whom have called for a comprehensive review of the contracts and payments in question./