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Auditor General Kimi Makwetu released a report Wednesday on the real-time audit that President Cyril Ramaphosa requested from his office to track how funds were being spent.
FILE: Auditor General Kimi Makwetu. Image: GCIS
CAPE TOWN – Auditor General Kimi Makwetu has uncovered evidence of fraud and corruption in spending the government’s multi-billion dollar COVID-19 aid package.
On Wednesday, he released a report on the real-time audit that President Cyril Ramaphosa requested from his office to keep track of how funds were being spent.
Makwetu teams focused on the R147.4 billion specially budgeted for COVID-19 relief, including business and employee support, social relief from distress grants, and procurement of personal protective equipment and other assets. and services.
The report covers spending from the start of the shutdown in April to the end of July.
The Auditor General said his office would release information to the multi-agency fusion center tasked with investigating fraud and corruption related to COVID-19.
“Much of the effort that we put into this on the detection side of things has revealed a number of alarming findings that require very quick follow-up so that there is no significant time lag before the required actions are implemented.”
Makwetu said some government IT systems were unable to cope with the new demands on them, while pre-existing problems with supply chain processes, such as a lack of internal controls and fraudulent activity, worsened.
He said that based on what had been audited so far, his teams had found evidence of overpricing of items, government employees and others requesting help they were not entitled to, possible fraud and circumventing management rules and regulations. of the supply chain. .
Makwetu said the fusion center has the tools, skills and mandate to take things to the next level and ensure there are consequences if auditors’ suspicions of wrongdoing are confirmed.
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