By Wayne Bowman, Guardian TT

The National Carnival Commission was forced to dip into its Carnival 2003 subvention to pay out money to the winners of competitions run by the National Carnival Bandleaders' Association during the last Carnival season.

Prizes were distributed last July, but some recipients were unable to cash their cheques because there was insufficient funds.

The NCC used more than $300,000 from the NCBA's 2003 subvention to clear the balance owed to the bandleaders. The subvention for this year was $2.6 million.

"We decided to take the money from the subvention to clear off the balance because we believed it was already unfair to the winners to have to wait nearly a year to get their money," NCC chairman Kenny De Silva said.

"What happened with the money in the first place is something you'll have to find out from the NCBA.

"The NCC is ensuring the subvention is used properly."

"In a statement released yesterday, a group calling itself the National Carnival Development Foundation thanked the NCC for ensuring the winners received their prize money.

The NCDF comprises bands that broke away from the NCBA following last Carnival.

Among them are Legends, Poison, Harts, Funtasia and Masquerade. This group claimed NCBA president Richard Afong has refused to give an account of the organisation's funds.

Afong said yesterday the cheques could not be cashed because the money was just not there in the first place.

He said the NCBA produced its Carnival events in 2002 with a deficit of funds as its been doing in past years.

"We have to pay out about 3,000 cheques for prizes, transport and appearance fees," he said.

He said he had instructed a clerk to pay out only prizes and not transport and appearance fees.

"She forgot and paid out everything and that is how we ended up in that mess," Afong added.