Complaints about delays in conducting audits related to projects underway in the Akamas National Forest Park are voiced by the Audit Service through an announcement.
As highlighted, the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment requested the Audit Service to conduct an audit of projects in Akamas, within the framework of public contracts entered into by the Department of Forests.
However, there is a delay in delivering the report of the administrative investigation conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environment, due to the opinion sought from the Attorney General.
The announcement of the Audit Service reads as follows:
During its session on 29th November 2023, the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment requested our Service to conduct an audit regarding the projects taking place in the Akamas National Forest Park, within the framework of public contracts signed by the Department of Forests.
According to international audit standards, among the audit evidence collected for conducting an audit, any reports by internal auditors or similar documents are included.
In this context, we deemed it necessary, among other things, to have the report of the administrative investigation conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environment on the matter, a copy of which we requested from the Director-General of the Department of Environment of the Ministry.
Due to the observed delay, the matter was raised by the Auditor General before the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, who informed us that he had requested a relevant opinion from the Attorney General of the Republic and therefore cannot forward the report to us before receiving it.
- We have repeatedly expressed the view that the unquestionable right of any audited entity to seek legal advice during its judgment cannot lead to a delay in providing the requested information. Moreover, relevant legislation stipulates that the requested information should be provided to our Service “as soon as possible.”
- Our Service informed the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment today that, although it respects its request for the fastest possible completion of the audit under consideration, it will not commence the audit until it has all the information it deems necessary for the conduct of the audit. Based on international audit standards, the auditor should not express an opinion when unable to obtain sufficient and appropriate audit evidence on which to base the opinion and concludes that this evidence could potentially significantly affect the opinion. Therefore, the initiation of an audit without ensuring access to all the necessary information we deem essential may lead to the waste of resources we will have meanwhile allocated.
- We hope that this will not be another case in which the Government, by invoking the adoption of the opinion of the Attorney General, will obstruct our work.
