By: Kebba AF Touray
The Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) has recommended that all contracts awarded to PKF Audit firm be cancelled forthwith following its failure to appear before the Assembly Committee.
“The Committee unanimously resolved thus that moving forward, all contracts awarded to the PKF by the NAO be cancelled forthwith,” Deputy Chairperson Fofana reported.
FPAC made this resolution on Tuesday, 30 January 2024 following the setback that has struck their engagement with Gambia Investment Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) for the consideration of its activity reports and financial statements for the fiscal year 2020.
This engagement, as explained by the committee, could not proceed due to the absence of external Auditors from PKF, despite all the efforts made to get the auditors present to proceed with the scheduled consideration.
On Tuesday, the committee and the Board of GIEPA appeared before the assembly for the said consideration, but their external auditors were absent, compelling the committee to break for hours to allow the external auditors to appear, which efforts all proved futile.
On the resumption of the engagement, Hon. Kebba Lang Fofanna, who deputized the FPAC Chairperson, informed the decision of FPAC to the media.
In reading the decision, he explained that “the Committee stood down for an hour and a half to allow further consultation. The Committee engaged the Office of the Auditor General on the blatant refusal of the PKF to attend to the calls of the Committee and GIEPA to attend the session.”
Fofana said the committee recommended PKF be blacklisted from being awarded Government contracts.
“PKF must attend and present all the reports of the institutions currently audited by them to the National Assembly; and that failure to appear before the Committee will be tantamount to Contempt of the National Assembly as per section 110 of the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of the Gambia,” Deputy Chairperson Fofana reported.
The Finance and Public Accounts Committee subsequently adjourned its engagement with GIEPA till further notice. Sessions with other entities continues today Wednesday, 31 January 2024 at the legislative house at 10:00 am prompt.
