Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips is calling for a full financial audit of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) farm road rehabilitation programme.

At the same time, Dr. Phillips has called for the ministers affiliated with agriculture to step aside while the audit is being conducted.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, the Opposition Leader said evidence indicates that funds intended for the farm roads programme might have been misused.

Dr. Phillips stated that the party has evidence that $1.6 b was supposedly spent on bushing in St. Thomas.

Dr. Phillips said bushing contracts under RADA were being done at a rate of $10,380,000 per kilometre of roadway, while in contrast, the National Works Agency (NWA) was paying a rate of $150,000 per kilometre for bushing.

This amounts to a difference of over six thousand per cent between the NWA’s rate and RADA’s rate.

In light of this and other concerns under the programme, Dr. Phillips is calling for a full financial audit of the RADA farm roads rehabilitation programme.

The Opposition Leader further called for the Prime Minister to remove the ministers with responsibility for RADA until the investigations are complete.