Audit officer flags 'unauthorised' payments by science council
An audit at the Malta Council for Science and Technology revealed instances where payments to employees were either unauthorised, not properly supported by evidence or inaccurate, the National Audit office said today.
Other shortcomings, particularly to inventory management, were also noted.
Concerns with respect to the filing of documents led this Office to question the completeness of information made available during the audit.
The Office said that on 3 June 2013, the then Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Education and Employment, approved the renewal of the contract of theFinancial Controller until he reached retirement age in January 2014, following which, a new call was to be issued.
However, on 24 December 2013, Ministerial approval was obtained to appoint the Officer on a position of trust upon his retirement. This was decided on the basis that he was instrumental in the setting up of the Council’s financial system, and constantly maintained the system to the highest level of quality possible.
Nevertheless, the Officer terminated his employment on 12 December 2014, even though the employment contract was due to expire in January 2017.
Remuneration awarded exceeded...