LCIF Screw up

                                                                By LCIF and LCI

This is part four of my response to John Ho's comments in IPP Barry Palmer's FB page.

"Have you asked IPP about LCIF matching grants; how only 50% of the project funds are granted by LCIF so that there can never be any unused LCIF funds once the project is completed; how LCIF only releases the grants to the DG of the Grant applicant District, as Grant Administrator, so LCIF obviously have no record of releasing funds to KK Host."

                                                                                         

My response: That is for LCIF to answer. If LCIF can write and confirm, which they did, that they do not have any record of granting money to LCKKHost then there is something wrong with their system which they should look into. In today’s world with such advanced technology one should be able with the click of a button to precisely state where money donated by the public to LCIF has gone and how it has been accounted for. AND you, John Ho from an auditing background ought to know better.

On the other hand, LCIF did not actually send the grant money to LCKKHost nor did the Grant Administrator. The last project done by LCKKHost was when I was still a member I did not see it shown in the treasurers report submitted to the BOD.

LCIF has screwed up its management of grant funds but IPP Barry Palmer will not own up and admit that LCIF had screwed up. He had promised me that he will investigate if grants from LCIF has been mismanaged. I hope he will keep his words.

Whether the money is directly remitted to the club or via a grant administrator there should be a check and balance. LCIF should be aware that there will be crooks like John Ho who will find loopholes in the system.

By the way, I had written several emails to PDG Prof. Eugene Lee of Korea, who also is a member of LCKKHost, and never did receive a response from him.

Surely excess funds cannot be used by John Ho and company to entertain foreign guests and to purchase assets for the club. Talking about assets, the financial statement filed with ROS does not even list the club premises and furniture and fixtures as assets? You have indicated that you are a qualified accountant; don’t you know that these assets should have been shown in the financial statements? Were these assets ever reported to LCI?

Not only LCIF grant was misused but local contributions were misused as well. Part of the fund to purchase the office lot was from excess funds from the Spiderman project. In court I should be able to get the Past President who told me that excess funds from the Spiderman project was used to purchase the Club unit to confirm this.

The 3 pages hand written statements by Joseph Chai is proof that excess water project money was used for renovation as well as purchase of air conditioners. The grant money received from LCIF was not remitted into the Club Bank account. That too shows how inefficient LCIF is in managing its grant money given out.

How is it possible for LCIF or its Grant Administrator to remit the money into a bank account that is not in the name of Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host?

The Lions Club’s 50^th anniversary magazine on page 44, your accomplice CC Pung wrote on the topic ‘Past Presidents Council’ the following: 

‘While the exact beginning is a matter for debate and speculation, Council members remember that the idea was motivated many years ago when the subject of optimizing the club’s share of surplus fund from the staging of district conventions was discussed. Over the years, the council became a depository for excess project funds, special donations etc.’

How can the council become a depository for excess funds without bank accounts?

The LCI Constitution is drafted for global management of all funds regardless of whether they are grant from LCIF or donations from the public.

LCIF and LCI should now look at ways to prevent similar mishandling of funds by other like-minded Lions around the world.