AuGD: 121 of 200 Starlink devices unused several weeks after acquisition
Published:Wednesday | February 4, 2026 | 12:16 AM
Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis is reporting that of the 200 Starlink devices delivered to the Office of the Commissioner of Police, only 120 were distributed to 17 entities, while the remaining 80 were on site and not in use on January 6, 2026, when a site inspection was done.
In a compliance audit tabled in Parliament yesterday, the auditor general said information identifying the intended recipient entities for the 80 undistributed devices was not provided to her department.
She said the devices were not recorded in the inventory of the Office of the Commissioner of Police.
The Government’s Comprehensive Asset Management Policy (2020) mandates that all government assets should be promptly recorded in asset registers, allocated appropriately, and properly managed.
Attempts were made by the auditor general to verify the utilisation of the 120 devices issued to the 17 entities. However, she said only 13 of the 17 entities provided information relating to 86 devices.
AUGD FINDINGS
Audit verification conducted at eight of these entities revealed that all 41 devices issued to them were unused and kept in storage.
Additionally, the auditor general said five entities did not record the Starlink devices in their asset inventories, raising concerns regarding accountability and safeguarding of government–owned assets.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) reported that one Starlink device was allocated to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service. However, when contacted by the Auditor General’s Department, the ministry indicated in correspondence dated January 14, 2026, that it did not receive a device.
Monroe Ellis said that in a January 25, 2026, response to her department’s query, the JCF stated: “Please be advised that the device in question was collected by [name redacted], a sergeant of police. He is assigned to [name redacted] as a close-protection officer and collected the device on her behalf. Please also note that her name was referenced on the distribution form in the field distributed to location.”
The auditor general said the JCF was yet to respond to her request to present the authority from Daryl Vaz, minister of energy, telecommunications and transport, or the Office of Disaster Preparedness giving the go-ahead for the distribution of Starlink device in question.