Tag Archives: Audit

An independent panel for Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) is taking a few of its town councillors to court in relation to its improper use of public funds. Workers' Party's Low Thia Khiang, Pritam Singh and Sylvia Lim have received a statement of claim and are in the midst of studying it.

In a statement released last Friday (17 February), Aljunied Hougang Town Council has announced that it would be appointing a 3 man panel of eminent persons to review the KPMG Past Payments Report, which was issued in October last year. The WP-run town council stated that it disagreed with the perspective of the report and was taking this measure to safeguard AHTC interests.

The Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) submitted the Punggol East SMC audited accounts for the period 1 Apr 2015 – 30 Nov 2015 to Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC) on 28 September 2016. AHTC has handed over Punggol East SMC to PRPTC in better financial health as compared to the time it took over the constituency in the aftermath of the Punggol East by-election of 2013. While PRPTC handed over to AHTC $22.5 million in Sinking Funds after the Punggol East by-election, AHTC is handing over to PRPTC $26.8 million in Sinking Funds and another $755,000 in accumulated surplus, totaling $27.5 million.

On Tuesday, the Auditor-General's report for Financial Year 15/16 was released. In their media release, AGO announced that it accounted 16 Government ministries and 8 organs of state. It uncovered a number of instances of inadequate financial controls and that management of public funds was weak in certain areas audited.

How come SCDF's security is so pathetic? An internal email sent by SCDF commanders pertaining to the schedule for a System and Surveillance Audit of a Provost Unit was leaked on the internet.

At a community event on Sunday (2 Aug), DPM Teo Chee Hean told the media that PAP is looking for candidates with financial and legal backgrounds, and more importantly, “with integrity and the interests of residents at heart”, to run in opposition-held Aljunied GRC. Going through AGO audit reports, it was found that Mr Teo, as Chairman of National Research Foundation (NRF) [Link] dealing with billions of dollars in its budget, should perhaps get his own house in order first before criticising WP’s AHPETC.

United Engineers (UE) Limited, a local environmental engineering and property services company, has been defrauded of over $11 million dollars worth of assets between the financial years 2010 and 2014. Local banking giant Overseas-Chinese Banking Corp is known to have a 20.47% share in the company. In a statement today, UE announced that a number of employees from a UE subsidiary, United Engineers Developments, were suspended because they had forged proposed contracts so as to award contract tenders to certain preferred third party contractors for their own benefit.

As a resident of Aljunied - I am curious. Does this mean that the AHPETC's cashflow problems started because of the Ministry's withholding of the grants in the first place - even whilst the process of the audit team was on-going and not completed yet? Isn't this kind of like punishing you even before the audit is complete - to the detriment of the residents?

In the case of National Parks Board (NParks), AGO was so annoyed at an NParks officer’s actions in creating and backdating documents to pass audit and MND’s attempt to be lenient towards the said errant officer that AGO literally rebuked MND. The case revolved around the development of Gardens by the Bay. This project was undertaken by NParks which is a statutory board under the purview of MND, Khaw’s ministry. During the audit of the project, AGO found out that certain documents furnished by NParks upon AGO’s request could have been created and backdated to give the impression that they existed at the time when the relevant transactions took place.

Lapses in the administration of grants, schemes and programmes, as well as instances of weak management of resources which resulted in wastage, were highlighted in the Auditor-General's Report for the Financial Year 2013/14, released on Thursday (July 17). After a few years in which the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) focused on procurement-related issues, it said it "consciously shifted" the emphasis for this year's audit to other areas to give the public sector time to enhance their procurement systems.