PUTRAJAYA, March 21 — The Auditor-General will initiate an audit of the Youth and Sports Ministry following a multimillion-ringgit corruption scandal involving a senior official, Chief Secretary to the government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa said today.
Ali added that the audit will be carried out within the month.
“Regarding the proposal for the formation of an independent investigation team, I have discussed with the Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang for an audit process on the Youth and Sports Ministry and the agencies under it, such as the National Sports Council, to look at all the processes involved and how leakages and misuse of power, such as this, could happen,” he told a news conference here.
Ali said the audit will be akin to a forensic audit, which will cover investigations on whether the ministry had fully complied with existing financial rules and weaknesses in financial procedures.
The Auditor-General will also come up with recommendations for improvement in his report to the government, he added.
“I feel that this should be handled by an independent party, so we won’t have KBS’s top official or myself chairing the taskforce, it’s better it’s left to the Auditor-General; and the Auditor-General will report to the Cabinet and in the meeting of secretaries-general and head of services,” he said.
He said the report is expected to be ready within three months.
Ali also said similar audits will later be carried out on other ministries.
“We don’t want such leakages happening again or officers taking advantage,” he said.
Last Friday, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested a 56-year-old senior official from the Youth and Sports Ministry suspected of embezzling an estimated RM100 million over the past six years.
Among the assets seized from the suspect valued at about RM20 million, were 12 vehicles, designer handbags and jewellery. Some 69 bank accounts containing RM8.3 million were also frozen.
Malay Mail reported earlier today that the MACC is also expected to interview more people in the case.
The anti-graft body reportedly said the money was channelled to contractors’ companies and to the suspect’s bank accounts through the National Sports Council (NSC).
