An investigation is set to be conducted regarding the procurement of goods and services related to the 52nd Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual General Meeting held in 2019, amidst allegations of mismanagement within the Ministry of Civil Services.
In a parliamentary session, Esrom Immanuel, the Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, introduced a motion to discuss the findings of a special investigation report associated with the procurement activities for the ADB meeting. The Ministry of Civil Services was tasked with organizing this international event, which attracted over 3,000 participants from 76 countries.
The previous government allocated $10 million for the event, but the actual expenditure reached $10.9 million, raising concerns about financial transparency and accountability.
The Assistant Minister for Finance stated that the Auditor General’s report forms the basis of the inquiry, highlighting critical issues such as potential fraud, breaches of financial regulations, and conflicts of interest in the selection of vendors. Key findings from the report indicated that there was enough evidence to suggest fraudulent transactions among some payments.
Immanuel pointed out that the investigation uncovered delays in securing major contracts and inefficiencies in fund management. He also noted that while the investigation and subsequent reforms are essential, the report’s release was significantly delayed, having been completed in December 2020 but only presented to Parliament in May 2023.
He underscored the investigation’s importance in fostering necessary reforms and called for sustained oversight to avoid future mismanagement of public funds. Additionally, Speaker Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu invoked Standing Order 20 to refer the matter to the public accounts sub-committee for further investigation and will now await their findings.