By Sirrah Touray
The National Assembly Finance and Public Accounts Committee FPAC, scrutinising the auditor general’s report on government accounts yesterday unearthed significant discrepancies and missing documentation concerning a government contract under the Office of The President, with committee members demanding immediate action from to rectify the glaring omissions.
The drama unfolded as representatives of the National Audit Office, presented findings that challenged the integrity of contract management.
NAO highlighted that out of additional works amounting to $42,687,288, approvals for $4,446,701 remain unaccounted for, despite management’s assurances.
Representatives from OP pleaded for more time, citing the “extensive” nature of their files.
However, it was the non-submission of performance security that truly seized FPAC’s attention.
While OP argued the contract in question was before 2017 and the bond likely lost during file movements from past commissions of inquiry and that the projects were successfully delivered, representatives of the NAO argued that the contract was signed in 2018, making the missing bond a failure in fulfilling a core contractual obligation, not a casualty of archive migration.
FPAC chairman Alagie Darboe, pressed the representatives from the Office of the President to reconcile the conflicting dates with the national audit office, stating that the matter is very serious. “Luck is not a policy. The performance bond is there for a reason. The committee would like you to ensure all contractual requirements are fulfilled before awarding them,” Hon Darboe told OP officials.
The representatives from OP promised to further consult and renew the search for the elusive bond, as well as provide a certificate of successful completion of the project. FPAC meanwhile set a firm deadline, demanding the submission of all outstanding documents by March 6th, or potentially March 25th, for more complex searches.
