FDD calls for adequate funding of Auditor General’s office

The Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has urged Government to increase funding to the Auditor General’s Office to enable it to effectively scrutinise the use of public funds.

FDD vice-president, Chifumu Banda, said Government should allocate and timely disburse enough financial resources to the Office of the Auditor General to ensure it conducted thorough audits on public funds.

“The reason why law enforcement agencies sometimes do not take action on most cases raised in the auditor general’s report is that the auditors there do not do a thorough job before concluding their findings,” he said.

Mr Banda, who is also Chasefu member of Parliament, said the Auditor General’s cases sometimes ended up at the Director of Public Prosecution chambers because of insufficient evidence against suspects.

He alleged that sometimes the findings were sensational and did not warrant prosecution.

Mr Banda was commenting on recent complaints by Auditor General, Anna Chifungula, that law enforcement agencies were delaying in taking action against suspects cited in her reports.

He also dismissed suggestions that the Auditor General’s office should be given powers to prosecute public officers found wanting.

“There must be division of labour.

The job of officers at the Auditor General’s office is to scrutinise how public funds are used, and if there are cases warranting prosecution, let them recommend to law enforcement agencies.

“Let them be empowered and given more resources so that they do a thorough job if their cases have to be prosecutable,” he said.

The Auditor General’s reports have been revealing misappropriation of public funds in huge amounts.

However, little action has been taken against individuals and institutions mentioned in the findings.