Modou Ceesay: Auditor General
By: Binta Jaiteh
The National Audit Office (NAO) has urged the Inspector General of Police to investigate illegal diversion of public funds at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital {EFST}.
This recommendation was disclosed in the audited management letter covering the period from 1st January 2021 to 30th April 2024, which was presented to the National Assembly’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC).
Auditors told the committee that the account statement has shown the senior procurement officer has been receiving funds from individuals who were dealing with the hospital as suppliers which sum up to two hundred and fourteen thousand and fifty D214,050 after awarding of business to these vendors by the contract committee members.
“The payment of fund into the account of the senior procurement officer is a suspected diversion of public fund. We recommend to the board to engage Inspector General of police to further investigate the financial dealing between the senior procurement officer and the suppliers
The auditors further revealed that there were incomplete records for personal files adding that during the audit, a sample of employee personal files was reviewed and this indicated that some essential documents were missing such as the employee’s contract, educational certificates, identification etc.
Noting that incomplete personal files of employees could lead to administrative inefficiencies, misunderstandings between employees and management regarding employment terms and potential delays in processing HR related matters,” auditors queried.
The management of EFSTH replied that there had been an on-going digitalization of the HR system since September 2024.