By Sahid Bangura

In an effort to combat corruption in all the public organizations and institutions, the Audit Service Report has divulged and incriminated the Ministry of Transport and Aviation of embezzling public funds, which amounts to Billions of Leones.

The report revealed that on the 26th May 2022, “The Ministry of Transport and Aviation signed a contract for the supply of five vehicles within two weeks at the contract price of SLE4, 938, 300,” and received 30% (SLE1, 481,490) of the contract price as an advance payment, but the Ministry breached the contract, and no supporting evidence was provided as at the time of review (July 2023).Even as “The advance payment guarantees and performance bond” was reported expired on the 25th October 2022, the vehicles were still not provided, and there was no evidence of action taken by the Ministry against the supplier for the provision of the vehicles or the refund of the advance payment made.

In response to the official statement in regards with the said contract, the Report revealed that the Audit Service reviewed a memo and a minute of the Procurement Meeting, which was held to deliberate on the Ministry of Finance correspondence. In review of the meeting, the audit report discloses that the Ministry resolved to terminate all the contracts for which deliveries of the vehicle were still outstanding.

It was recorded that “The termination should take effect on the date after receipt of review comments on the termination process from the NPPA, Law Officers, and the Ministry of Finance. There was no evidence that the Ministry had however engaged the Law Officers Department, NPPA, and the Ministry of Finance on the termination process.” On that note, the Audit Report maintained that the Ministry had not terminated any project, and no evidence of action against the supplier has been made available.

Following the Audit Service inspection of contract terms, payment vouchers, and documents of the construction of Transit Terminal at Wilberforce, it was reported that the Ministry’s contract period elapsed since September 2022, and “The performance security was not submitted for audit inspection,” and an amount of SLE94, 350 was disbursed for electrical installation components and testing, but the “Activities were neither carried out nor were the procured made available for audit inspection.”

The Audit Service Report stressed that on to the date of the contract expiration, the Ministry had not completed the construction of the terminal, adding that “Electrical items valued SLE28, 750, were still not installed or made available for inspection.”

The Audit Report uncovered the “Lack of controls over fleets’ management,” by the Ministry. It was reported that “Life cards for five vehicles and two motorbikes and logbooks for four utility vehicles were not submitted for Audit inspection. Additionally, 15 vehicles and four motorbikes were not licensed and insured for the period under review.” The Audit Report concludes that the life card for five vehicles and two motorbikes, and the logbooks for four utility vehicles were not submitted for audit inspection; adding that evidence of licence and insurance for nine vehicles and four motorbikes were not provided for inspection, leaving the issue “partly resolved.”