Auditors seek sanctions in p-card review

Posted by Bill Donovan | Jan 18, 2018 | News |

WINDOW ROCK

The auditor general’s office is seeking legislative approval to enforce sanctions on some workers within the Division of Economic Development for failure to comply with recommendations the office made to correct problems with the division’s purchasing-card operation.

The office had issued a report in December sharply criticizing the program for failing to carry out recommendations made by the auditors back in 2011 and 2012. Of the 12 corrective actions suggested by auditors back then, the newest report said only one of them has been implemented.

“Accordingly, we recommend sanctions be imposed for failure to implement the corrective action plan,” said the report.

P-cards are like credit cards and are used by tribal employees to buy supplies needed by the department. Only certain employees get to use the p-cards.

Helen Brown, acting director of the auditor general’s office, said Tuesday the p-card program would have 10 percent of its operating budget put into escrow until the department comes into compliance. The director of the program would see a 20 percent reduction in pay kept aside as well until the program complies with the recommendations.

Probably the biggest question brought up in that 2011-12 audit had to do with a former accountant for the division’s real estate development section who had $156,500 in questionable charges to her p-card.

“There was no documentation found on file to support her p-card charges,” the new audit stated.

“Once receipts were obtained directly from the merchants, it was revealed that the former accountant purchased personal items that were unrelated to the purpose and objective of the Real Estate Department,” the audit stated.