WELL respected Naas accountant and SJI auditor, Eilis Quinlan, this week issued a clarifying statement ahead of the EGM of Showjumping Ireland on November 27th next.

Last week’s issue reported how the SJI in a letter to members proposes the removal of the existing auditor Eilis Quinlan, who has held the post for nine years. The letter said that this proposal was in the best interests of the company and it’s proposed to replace Quinlan with new auditors RBK Accountants for three financial years at the looming EGM.

The matter was to have been tabled at the AGM but could not as proper notice had not been given.

In a statement, Eilis Quinlan said: “I have been the auditor of the SJAI for the past nine years, and have experienced increasingly worrying Corporate Governance issues within the Association. I had criticised the behaviour of the Connaught region in particular, and had repeatedly indicated that adherence to the Companies Acts 2014 is a statutory requirement of the Board, and of good Corporate Governance in general.

“The executive decided, in its wisdom, that the best thing to do was to shoot the messenger.

“If I had been asked to resign as auditor, I would have been very happy to. However, I was not even informed of the fact that the chair and the executive had decided to replace me, until the day before the AGM, when I received a letter from RBK Accountants stating that they ‘have been appointed Auditor to the SJAI’.

“I immediately pointed out to the Executive Board that, under Sections 394 and 395 of the Companies Act 2014, the correct removal of an auditor requires the approval of the Members, and is not made just by the Board.

It is for this reason that they now find themselves in the position of having to call an EGM, and for no other reason,” added Quinlan.