The civil society group, Liberia Accountability Watch (LAW), has decried what it terms as propaganda spewed against the General Auditing Commission (GAC), particularly the Auditor General (AG), P. Garswa Jackson.
Following the completion and release of its audit report on the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), as mandated by President George Weah, radio news programs and pages of some newspapers have, in recent times, been saturated with attacks from several quarters, on the person of AG Jackson and the professional reputation of the nation’s supreme audit institution.
LAW, in a release issued Monday, September 13, 2021, in Monrovia, said while it respects the individuals and organizations’ rights to opinion, it is an unacceptable and dangerous precedence for people to clearly play politics with the professional and solemn duties and responsibilities of a nonpolitical and sacred institution such as the GAC.
The group noted that the recent public outbursts against the AG and the GAC constitutes an ill-informed and calculated attempt to falsely paint a political face on the GAC as it strives to uphold public trust and confidence in the implementation of its statutory mandate.
The Liberia Accountability Watch further averred that, at this critical juncture when there is a growing need to enhance the process of accountability and transparency in the handling of state assets and resources, all well-meaning Liberians and organizations must support the GAC’s quest to accelerate the protection of scarce resources and curb waste and abuse in the public sector.
The group vowed to, henceforth, begin naming and shaming those bent on undermining genuine anti-graft efforts that are intended to minimize, if not eradicate, corruption in all its forms and save adequate resources for the much-needed development of the country.
LAW further stated that from its investigation, which includes the review of the President’s mandate to the Auditor General, the GAC conducted the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation’s audit and investigation within the scope of the President’s mandate, and there is therefore no reason why people should launch a campaign of attack and character assassination against the GAC and the AG.
The CSO group maintained that, prior to the appointment of AG Jackson, the office of the President wrote the late AG Gaye to commission a comprehensive audit of the LWSC and assess the occurrence of fraud in the corporation’s operations and provide assurance over the financial viability of the entity’s operation, but due to the illness and subsequent demise of the former AG and the process of regularizing the nomination of AG Jackson, the President’s request (mandate) was stalled or delayed.
LAW has meanwhile commended the office of AG Jackson for the professional manner in which the President’s mandate has been executed.
The group maintained that it is important to note that the audit of the LWSC service contract was planned with the involvement of senior management, and the report was reviewed thoroughly by senior management of the GAC, and that the audit of the service contract has been concluded and the report has been submitted to the National Legislature with copies to the President and other stakeholders.
According to the civil society organization, the GAC observed that the objectives of the audit were all achieved with three exceptions to the terms of the contract and has, therefore, provided reasonable assurance that due procurement processes were followed, consistent with World Bank regulations; that an approved contract existed between LWSC and the selected vendor (Hydroconseil) and that the deliverables of the contract were completed and submitted; and thirdly, the audit processes and procedures were planned and conducted in a systematic manner and that, due to the results of the investigation, no significant evidence of fraud was brought to the attention of the GAC.
The following exceptions, according to the civil society group, and as contained in the GAC’S report, were noted based on the results of the audit/investigation: that payments were not made consistent with terms of the contract, but were instead made to a bank account not specified in the contract.
The comprehensive audit of the LWSC is on-going and expected to be concluded in December 2021.
The office of the Auditor General is accordingly concerned about the misconceptions of the audit report, as has been presented by some actors in the media platforms and political stages of the country.
Liberia Accountability Watch (LAW) has at the same time called on the Communications Department of the GAC to do more to reduce negative public perceptions about the GAC by articulating the findings and opinions of the GAC’s Audit reports to the public going forward.
Meanwhile, LAW has committed itself to following up and observing the LWSC audit to the end, and that when it is observed at any point that the GAC deviates from its professional guiding principles, the group will not hesitate to speak out.