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     The General Auditing Commission (GAC) says while it thanks President Sirleaf, the National Legislature, the Liberian people and the international partners, media and civil society organizations for their continued support to the GAC, it is troubled by reports the President does not receive the reports before they get into the press.    

     The GAC says it is surprised because, normally, GAC often officially submits audit reports to the Office of the President a week, or sometimes a month, before they are submitted to the National Legislature and the public.  

     From time to time, Auditor General John S. Morlu, II makes it a habit to discuss the progress of audit reports with the President, as this case was with the recent five HIPC audits when he met with the President on the Monday of the President departure for Brazil. The NASSCORP report was also discussed with the President and a team of GAC auditors. GAC often goes the extra mile to ensure that all, particularly the President, are informed of the final reports. Normally draft reports are discussed over and over with all parties before their finalities and subsequent publishing.

GAC says it is purely a highly professional entity committed to exposing fraud, waste and abuse in the public service and would not be distracted by maneuvers from auditees, including top political appointees, who take solace in the repudiation of audit reports at the expense of the hard work being done to save the nation from the hands of those who siphon public funds.  

The Commission in a release said it is a serious national tragedy that whenever issues of transparency and accountability are raised via audit reports, the auditees and culprits of audit reports would often insinuate political motives and intents instead of tackling the merits and technical details of the report. If GAC has a political motive for every audit, then what would  that motive be for each of the dozens of auditees that are regularly audited?

The Ministry of Public Works, having the statutory responsibilities to oversee and undertake government’s construction and reconstruction program, also heads a major pillar of Liberia’s PRS agenda, the infrastructure-building and social service. The recent HIPC audit, which fielded auditors throughout the nook and corner of the country, found the Ministry grossly faltering at the costly disadvantage of the coffers of government and poverty-irked people of Liberia for whom both statute and the PRS policy adore it with its pro-people mandate.   

Amongst a number of channels via which colossal sums of offshore monies were found wasted, if not siphoned, was a chain of countryside projects apparently meant by government to improve the lot of rural dwellers.  

For instance, in the Southeastern province of Maryland, three projects were required to be executed: the renovation of MPW Workshop in Pleebo, rehabilitation of the Karloken to Barrobo road and road rehabilitation in Maryland County, for which US$18,744.28, US$57,600 and US$205,000.00 respectively were disbursed. The expenditure incurred on the projects constituted 28.8 %, 30.0% and 100% respectively of their respective contract sum. MPW awarded the first two projects to Builders Liberia and ITAL respectively, whilst the third project was to have been undertaken by the MPW itself.

The General Auditing Commission (GAC)  Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) audit report conducted on the Ministry of Education has revealed scores of malpractices, misappropriations, irregular payments, faulty systems and controls,  significant deficiencies and material weaknesses during 30 June 2008 fiscal year ended.                                                         NNNNNNNNN

The report, among other things captured material and relevant evidence that the Minister of Education did not fulfill Chapter 26, Section 26.2 of the Executive Law of 1972, which requires that Minister of Education “shall be informed concerning the condition and operation of all schools and educational institutions, public or private, and of the general state of education in Liberia,” and that the Minister “shall visit all schools in each county at least once a year.” 

According to the audit finding, the Minister did not fulfill these responsibilities, as the Minister and the entire Education Ministry did not know the number of schools and employees including those at the schools working for MOE. MOE’s own internal reports produced by Director General, Dr. Michael P. Slawion of the National Commission on Higher Education Division supported GAC’s position that they could not determine the number of schools or employees of the Ministry.