Media reports that the Internal Chief Auditor at the Lands Authority has been sidelined and prevented from carrying out her functions for months and is now being redeployed following her critical report of the same Authority, is a clear sign that all is not well within this important authority.
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo noted that although Charlene Muscat was employed in order to ensure that internal checks and balances are in place to ensure good governance of its processes in 2018, she has been prevented from doing her work properly by being prevented from attending board meetings, and from having access to files. In a few words, someone, somewhere made sure that the Internal Auditor is rendered useless and ineffective.
“This is a clear example of the double-talk of government and comes hot on the heels of the FATF grey listing. While the Prime Minister whines and winged about Malta’s grey-listing by the FATF, at the same time, it his government actively resists implementing transparent internal auditing processes, which are essential for good governance. That the Land’s Authority’s internal audit chief has been prevented from doing her work and is being redeployed a couple of days following her critical report, and a week after Malta’s FATF grey-listing demonstrates that the emasculation of regulatory authorities is still work in progress.”
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Minkejja d-dmugħ tal-kukkudrilli, l-awtoritajiet regolatorji għadhom qed jidgħajjfu
Rapporti fil-midja li l-Awditur Intern fl-Awtorità tal-Artijiet twarrbet u ma tħallietx tagħmel xogħolha għal xhur sħaħ, u li tneħħiet mill-awtorità wara li ħarget rapport li huwa kritiku tal-operat tal-istess Awtorità, huma sinjali li hemm il-problemi u l-ħabi f’din l-awtorità importanti.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo nnota li għalkemm Charlene Muscat ġiet impjegata fl-2018 biex tiżgura li permezz ta’ kontrolli u awditjar intern tkun żgurata governanza tajba fil-proċessi tal-awtorità , Muscat ġiet imfixkla milli tagħmel xogħolha kif suppost billi ma tħallietx tattendi laqgħat tal-bord, u ma ngħatatx aċċess għad-dokumenti meħtiega biex taqdi l-funzjonijiet tagħha sew. Fi ftit kliem, xi ħadd, x’imkien, żgura li l-Awditur Intern jitrenda inutli u ineffettiv.
“Dan huwa eżempju ċar tad-dmugħ tal-kukkudrilli tal-gvern, għax filli l-Prim Ministru jilmenta dwar l-FATF u l-fatt li Malta spiccat fuq il-lista l-griża, u filli l-gvern tiegħu stess jirreżisti b’mod attiv l-implimentazzjoni ta’ proċessi ta’ verifika interna trasparenti, li huma essenzjali għal governanza tajba. Il-fatt li l-kap tal-awditjar intern tal-Awtorità tal-Artijiet ma tħallietx tagħmel xogħolha u li tneħħiet mill-awtorità ftit jiem wara rapport kritiku tagħha, u ġimgħa biss wara li Malta tqegħdet fuq il-lista griża tal-FATF, juri li minkejja kollox l-awtoritajiet regolatorji għadhom qed ikomplu jidgħajjfu apposta.”
