The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

POLICE were called in to investigate how an officer who was transferred from the Registrar General Department’s birth record office was able to log 75 birth certificates in the system that were not recorded in the department’s Data Management Search Section.

The issue is among a litany of worrying irregularities Auditor General Terrance Bastian found in the Registrar General’s Department during his 2012-2013 audit of the public sector.

The auditor traced a sample of these 75 birth certificates to the Passport Office and discovered that those same persons were issued passports or certificates of identity, while others have made application for passports.

The report noted that the matter was under active police investigation at the time of the review. It is unclear what came of this investigation. The auditor’s scope of reference included births registered from April 2012 to April 2013.

Also, the report said that a comparison of the department’s Birth Certificate Listing and records from the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) revealed a total of 4,098 births registered in the department between the period April 25, 2012, and April 30, 2013, versus 3,993 in PMH.

The report also said that a number of persons received search cards despite having received a negative letter of proof of birth from PMH. According to the audit, the negative letter states that PMH “cannot positively certify that the person gave birth to a live baby on the Maternity Ward of the PMH.”

However, the report noted that a voter’s card, school letter, baptismal certificate or immunisation card was used to obtain the search card.

Additionally, the report stated that persons born before July 1, 1966 could use a voter’s card in order to receive a search card. However, officials noted that persons who did not have a birth certificate and requested a search card were able to obtain a passport and subsequently a voter’s card. Officials further noted that the voter’s card was used to secure a search card.

After three years of age, a child cannot be registered for a birth certificate, according to the government’s website. However a pink card or search card can be issued which, along with a sworn affidavit, will be accepted in the absence of a birth certificate.

The audit said an explanation needed to be given on “how someone could obtain a passport and subsequently a voter’s card without having a birth certificate.”

It suggested “management pay close attention to applicants and implement stringent policies when other documents are used solely as proof of someone being born in the Bahamas even though the hospital/clinics cannot certify the birth of the individual.”

The report also revealed that an employee was able to enter a number of birth certificates after being transferred from the department’s MIS Section on March 5, 2012. At the time of the audit, however, the report said the employee’s access was subsequently disabled.

Nonetheless, the report revealed that the department has no records of those infants’ births being registered with the department. A number of transactions also showed that the name and date of birth were duplicated, however, each transaction had a different birth ID. According to the report, officials were unable to determine the reason for the duplication.

The report further went on to say that a number of transactions were seen registered without a date of birth. Additionally, the report said that staff with “ultimate access” (level 9) would assist in entering births when the section is short staffed.

According to the report, a number of infants born between 2011 and 2012 were registered in the Registrar General’s Department without their actual names.

The audit found that a number of infants born between those years were registered with either “Baby Boy” or “Baby Girl” as a first name. In some instances, first and last names were not indicated. A period was inserted in place of a surname in those instances.

“All babies should be registered with at least a first and last name,” the report recommended. “We further recommend that the Birth and Deaths Registration Act, Chapter 188 Section 15 (1) be amended to reflect the same. This would facilitate a clear audit trail.

“An explanation should be given as to how a person could be registered without a date of birth being entered,” the report added. “Also we recommended that the date of birth field be a required field to have a birth registered.”

The report added: “As far as possible, management should ensure that staff of the MIS Section are not functioning as registration officers. We view this with much concern and recommend that management discourage this practice.

“Management should have an investigation carried out on the births registered by the employee that was transferred.”

The report went on to say that while conducting the audit, officials were informed that a number of employees were transferred for up to 10 months, but were not disabled on the department’s system until May 22, 2013.