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22-07-2021, 12:54 PM
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/au...ory-boards
A yearly audit of the public sector by the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) has not only turned up lapses in areas such as procurement and weaknesses in information technology controls. It also found “possible irregularities” in the records of three government ministries and two statutory boards.
Police reports were filed after these potential irregularities surfaced
AGO’s report for the 2020 to 2021 financial year, made public on Thursday (July 22) and tabled in Parliament the day before, listed the agencies where the possible irregularities were found as the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and People’s Association (PA).
AGO said that its audit of MCCY found that supporting documents for claims contained signs that they could have been photocopies of one another, with changes made to the dates and duration of services rendered.
Separately, there were “a few instances” indicating that MOE and MHA had created supporting documents or backdated other documents to satisfy AGO’s queries.
As for HDB, AGO said it found indications that some quotations could have been created or altered to give the impression that they were obtained from other suppliers.
PA’s possible irregularities included signs of falsification of quotations, alteration of hardcopy payment supporting documents, and the creation and backdating of documents.
These agencies, said AGO, have since carried out investigations, and lodged police reports where appropriate.
Responding to AGO’s report, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said that it was disappointed with instances of public officers fabricating or altering documents for audit because such actions “weaken the system of public accountability”.
The ministry said that the Government took a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption, and stressed that every case would be thoroughly investigated.
“We will throw the book at officers involved in suspected fraud and corruption, including lodging police reports for criminal investigations to be conducted,” MOF said.
A yearly audit of the public sector by the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) has not only turned up lapses in areas such as procurement and weaknesses in information technology controls. It also found “possible irregularities” in the records of three government ministries and two statutory boards.
Police reports were filed after these potential irregularities surfaced
AGO’s report for the 2020 to 2021 financial year, made public on Thursday (July 22) and tabled in Parliament the day before, listed the agencies where the possible irregularities were found as the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and People’s Association (PA).
AGO said that its audit of MCCY found that supporting documents for claims contained signs that they could have been photocopies of one another, with changes made to the dates and duration of services rendered.
Separately, there were “a few instances” indicating that MOE and MHA had created supporting documents or backdated other documents to satisfy AGO’s queries.
As for HDB, AGO said it found indications that some quotations could have been created or altered to give the impression that they were obtained from other suppliers.
PA’s possible irregularities included signs of falsification of quotations, alteration of hardcopy payment supporting documents, and the creation and backdating of documents.
These agencies, said AGO, have since carried out investigations, and lodged police reports where appropriate.
Responding to AGO’s report, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said that it was disappointed with instances of public officers fabricating or altering documents for audit because such actions “weaken the system of public accountability”.
The ministry said that the Government took a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption, and stressed that every case would be thoroughly investigated.
“We will throw the book at officers involved in suspected fraud and corruption, including lodging police reports for criminal investigations to be conducted,” MOF said.
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