‘Shocking’ findings in audit report point to ‘closing down sale where anything goes’, GSD says

The Principal Auditor’s report for 2018/19 sets out in detail “shocking” examples of waste alongside “opaque and questionable” financial practices, the GSD said on Thursday.

The long-overdue report by former Principal Auditor Anthony Sacramento runs to over 500 pages and was published this week following controversy in Parliament during the Budget session.

The GSD highlighted findings in the report including:

• Payments or the award of contracts to persons close to the GSLP in circumstances of deep concern to the Auditor raising issues of political patronage or favouritism or the perception of political advantage;

• Many questionable ex gratia “golden handshakes” unexplained and unjustified in the Auditor’s eyes;

• Actions of the Chief Minister and senior officials described as “unconstitutional” or “improper”;

• A culture of obstructionism of the Auditor and failures to respond to requests for information;

• Massive, poorly-controlled overtime;

• Breaches of tendering procedures;

• Weaknesses in controls of Government contracts;

• Opaque and unaccountable spending of millions of pounds;

• Poor value for money;

• Irregularities in or seemingly arbitrary decision-making.

“This combined with the catalogue of waste or financial mismanagement with taxpayers’ money and rampant opaqueness shows that we are in the closing down sale of this Government where anything goes and where they are reckless with the people’s money,” the Opposition said.

“The cumulative result is waste of your money and a mishandling of public finances that badly exacerbates why there is less money for you.”

The Opposition said the catalogue of issues covered in the report was “huge” and that it would be exploring them in detail over the coming days.

But the overall conclusion was that the report raised “serious questions” about how millions of pounds of taxpayer money had been spent.

“This is a GSLP that is now running wild,” Mr Azopardi said.

“Some of the value for money audits show payments made or financial practices before and after the last election.”

“None of the new GSLP candidates are absolved from these practices as not all are historic.”

“Some of the payments that the Auditor has questioned under the recent value for money audits have been happening under their watch too. Nothing will change if the GSLP remain in office.”

“This is why the GSLP have engineered a six-year time lag on the delivery of Principal Auditor’s reports by slowing down necessary legislation.”

“It is to obstruct how quickly the information on their opaque and questionable financial practices emerges.”

“Rather than things improving they are getting worse with the Auditor uncovering shocking examples of waste and suspect financial transactions.”

“This is all with your money and it shows why they must be sacked by the people of Gibraltar at the next election so we can introduce the necessary reforms to ensure better controls on the use of your money.”