GYAC-Liberia Wants LACC Audited…. Writes GAC

The Liberia Chapter of the Global Youth Anti-Corruption Network (GYAC-Liberia) an international anti-corruption and integrity institution established by the World Bank Institute in 2009 is calling for an immediate audit of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) that has not being audited since 2013.

According to GYAC-Liberia National Coordinator, James Koryor it is worrisome and embarrassing to see the # 1 anti-graft institution in the country not being audited for almost four years now a situation that has trigger a communication from his institution inviting the services of the General Auditing Commission.

The Youth Integrity Ambassador furthered that the management of the LACC should submit to an immediate audit to avoid misconception because he who speak of equity must come with clean hands stressing that the LACC hands are not yet clean unless they submit to an audit and reports prove them clean.

Mr. Koryor also stated that audit reports available prove that LACC was only audited for years under the dynamic leadership of Cllr. Frances Johnson-Allison, stressing that no one knows why the GAC have not being able to implement its statutory mandate in keeping with Section 53.1 of the GAC Act which state “Once a year perform audits of all Government agencies and Government organizations and examine, to the extent he deems necessary, all transactions and accounts relating to the receipt, disbursement, and utilization of public monies;

The youth advocate also stated that the failure for the GAC to routinely audit key institution like the LACC is raising more questions than answers because LACC is currently investigating individuals and institutions implicated in GAC audits when they (LACC)has not being audited for over three years.

The GYAC-Liberia boss furthered that since fiscal year 2013/2014 up to including fiscal year 2016/2017 the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission have received over ten millions tax payer monies without an audit being conducted when in fact the LACC is a spending entity.

According to the youth integrity ambassador, in the absent of a comprehensive audit of the LACC, citizens will speculate that which we believe undermines the credibility and integrity of the LACC to question other institutions that have being audited.

If we are to win the war against corruption, anti-graft institutions should lead by example stating that the Global Youth Anti-Corruption Network Liberia Chapter will continue to engage with the General Auditing Commission to ensure that the LACC is audited as soon as possible before the expiration of the current executive chairman whose tenure ends in 2018 Mr. Koryor asserts.

In his communication to the Auditor General of Liberia, the GYAC-Liberia boss called for a timely response to address the situation which he described as a complete laxity of statutory mandate by the GAC for failing to audit a government spending entity for more than three years.