The General Auditing Commission (GAC) says no significant evidence of fraud was brought to its attention nor discovered based on the outcome of the performance of the Compliance Audit of the Consulting Service Contract between the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) and Hyroconseil, a French company.
The GAC, among other things, said they serve the people of Liberia by conducting quality and timely financial compliance and performance audits, and their core values are integrity, transparency, independence, professionalism and diversity.
It can be recalled that on August 10, 2019, the service contract was signed by the LWSC, represented by its Managing Director, Duannah A. Kamara, and Hydroconseil, represented by its Chairman, Bruno Valfrey, to provide consulting services for detailed feasibility studies, design and preparation of tender documents for the construction of civil and mechanical works to provide water delivery to the City of Paynesville and Central Monrovia.
The contract, valued at US$180,132.00 (one hundred eighty thousand one hundred thirty-two United States dollars) was awarded to Hyroconseil under an existing World Bank-funded project, Liberia Urban Water Supply Project.
According to the GAC, issues of non-compliance to the terms of the service contract were identified, but in its conclusion those issues do not amount to fraud.
“Our procedures were planned and crafted in a systematic manner to identify the risk of fraud in the implementation of the service contract,” says the GAC in the Auditor General’s Report of the just-concluded Special Investigative Audit.
“Based on the work performed, the requisite procurement processes for the award of the consulting service contract were in compliance with the World Bank Procurement Guidelines in all material respect. The procurement method used was a Consultant Direct Selection (CDS), which was approved (no objection) by the World Bank. The LWSC management obtained a “no objection” from the World Bank to award the contract to Hydroconseil,” the GAC reports.
The GAC adds that there was an approved contract for the execution of the service, and that it verified that stage-by-stage deliverables contained in the service contract were delivered by the contractor, Hydroconseil.
Meanwhile, the GAC’s Special Investigative Audit has laid to rest widespread reports in the media and social media, mainly Facebook, that the suspended Managing Director of the LWSC, Duannah A. Kamara, allegedly squandered the US$99,000.00 (ninety-nine thousand United States dollars). The widespread report of the US$99,000.00 alleged misappropriation was said to have been fueled by the suspended Deputy Managing Director for Finance at the LWSC, Sencee J. Morris.
It can be recalled that, a fortnight ago, President George Manneh Weah suspended the two LWSC officials and subsequently formally requested the GAC to conduct a Special Investigative Audit relating to the expenditure of the US$99,000.00 in question in order to ascertain the facts, and submit findings to his office.
With the vindication of the suspended LWSC MD by the GAC’s Special Investigative Audit, pundits say the lifting of his suspension by the President may be imminent.