POLICE is yet to receive referral from the Office of the Auditor General regarding the report of mismanagement of Covid-19 disaster relief funds.
Assistant Commissioner (AC) Crime and Intelligence for the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Patricia Leta confirmed this in a press conference on Friday.
When asked if the police had received any referrals following the Auditor General’s report she said they did not received any referral yet.
She said it is a matter for the Office of the Auditor General to take it up.
“This process is clear that the Auditor General must make referral to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) should there be any serious offence that has been identified in the audit reports,” AC Leta said.
She said she understands for public interest and general, the public also calls on the RSIPF to investigate such matters.
“However, we must be also conscious that this procurement process comes under Public Financial Management Act and Financial Institution Regulations.
“….so it means that those Ministries that has compliance of deficiencies need to improve their system or in other hand if they misused imprest, they must be accountable under those Financial Institutions.
“In cases where criminal offence is obviously identified then RSIPF can take it on for proper investigation.
“We must receive those referrals before we do investigation,” AC Leta explained.
However, AC Leta said so far the team from the National Criminal and Investigation (NCID) did not receive any referrals.
The Office of the Auditor General (AOG) has last week released an audit report on the Covid-19 disaster relief funds that uncovered the shocking findings.
The Audit report contains serious financial mismanagement of Covid-19 relief funds by the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) through the Ministry of Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Ministry of Infrastructure Development and the Ministry of Health & Medical Services.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
