Tuesday April 4, 2023
FILE - An armoured Toyota Landcruiser popular among senior Somali government officials.
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somalia's Auditor General, Ahmed Isse Gutale, has demanded former federal government officials return government-owned vehicles within two weeks. This order follows the discovery by the Office of the National Auditor General that various Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) agencies' vehicles were still in possession of former officials, sparking concerns about the misappropriation of government assets.
The Auditor General's office has set specific guidelines for ex-FGS officials, including a two-week deadline to return the vehicles to the relevant FGS agencies, repair any damage, and sign property transfer documents.
FGS agencies have four days to provide the General Audit Office with a list of unaccounted-for vehicles. Additionally, these agencies are responsible for evaluating the condition of returned vehicles and suspending new vehicle acquisitions until the matter is resolved.
The
recently appointed Auditor General warns that failure to comply with these directives could lead to individuals and organizations being held liable for property loss and criminal action taken against them under Article 15 of the Audit Office Law. Noncompliant cases will be referred to the proper authorities for stringent enforcement.
In late November, Somalia's former Auditor General, Mohamed M. Ali, issued a
critical report revealing weak controls over government vehicle management.
The report found that numerous Somali federal ministries, departments, and agencies
had not properly registered their vehicles under their names, thus compromising control and accountability.
Previous auditor generals have also raised the issue of government-issued vehicles, often bulletproof, not being returned by former officials.