Govt auditors take bribe up to Tk 5 lakh
Auditors of the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General (OCAG) take at least Tk 10,000 to Tk 5 lakh as bribes while conducting audit, according to a research of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
Candidates have to pay between Tk 3 lakh and Tk 5 lakh to get a job as auditors, junior auditors and drivers at the OCAG, said the Bangladesh Chapter of Transparency International while disclosing the findings at a press briefing in Dhaka today.
The findings highlighted how the constitutionally independent office, which is entrusted with finding out financial and other anomalies in the spending by government, semi-government and autonomous offices and foreign funded projects, has itself become tainted with irregularities for external and internal factors.
While addressing the briefing, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, "The OCAG is responsible for detecting anomalies in the spending of taxpayers' funds. It is unacceptable if it becomes corrupt."
"The findings are unacceptable. It must be cured. There is no alternative to political will to allow the OCAG to function independently," he said.
He also said, "We are confirmed that irregularities at the OCAG are rife."
TIB Chairperson Sultana Kamal said the OCAG has to share its audit findings with the Prime Minister Office although the PMO itself is audited by the auditors.
"As a result, the constitutional right of the OCAG is violated since the power still remains with the executive authority," she said.
The TIB called the government for enacting audit laws, providing complete autonomy to the OCAG, filling up vacancies and giving incentives to honest auditors.
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