The much-discussed public spending on overcoming the crisis is now also in the hands of the police. The State Audit Office approached law enforcement officers, which revealed discrepancies in the purchase of protective masks at the beginning of the crisis.
At the onset of the emergency, the State Audit Office approached the government, offering its assistance in verifying whether the spending of the crisis was justified and appropriate. Accordingly, the audit authority rescheduled its work and the first case audited was the procurement of face masks and respirators.
Presenting the conclusion today, the State Audit Office outlined a gloomy picture – Latvia was not ready for the crisis. There has been no national civil protection plan for three years, funding for the renewal of material reserves was last granted in 18 years. In early March, the Emergency Medical Service provided masks and respirators for only seven days.
In March, 5.7 million euros were spent on their purchase, the Lion’s Court – the National Health Service, purchasing products from five companies. At the beginning of April, these responsibilities were taken over by the Defense Department, and the State Audit Office has not yet evaluated procurements from this period.
Taking into account the crisis situation, it was allowed not to apply the Public Procurement Law to specific procurements, but the State Audit Office emphasizes that this does not release it from the obligation to act responsibly with taxpayers’ money. Minimum requirements for such acquisitions were not defined in time. Decisions on them were made unilaterally, in the person of the then director of the service Edgars Labsvirs, creating a risk of corruption, the selection was not documented. Agreements verbally, by phone, in WhatsApp and the like.
With the audit methods it was not possible to gain assurance that the selection of tenderers complied with the set criteria – speed of delivery, price, quality and others.
“Of course, it was a very difficult time, there were no such ready-made recipes. In our opinion, wrong things have been allowed, but the question of what the result will be in the part of combating economic crimes is also important – was there not only a risk, but already corrupt actions, ”points out the Auditor General Elita Krūmiņa.
The then head of the Health Service had already decided to leave the post, but did so, according to him, because of the “emotional mask of terror”. Now he emphasizes to TV3 News that when purchasing protective equipment, it was necessary to act decisively and quickly – the alternative would be to leave hospitals without them. The good man hopes that the police, who have been investigating the case for a long time, will bring clarity to the substance.
“Of course, I reject any speculation about dishonesty. We are not ashamed of what we have done. The goal has been achieved and the crisis has been assessed, but there is, of course, no surprise about some criticism of procedural inconsistencies, ”says Goodman.
The Minister of Health is tougher in his statements. “Apparently, the civil service colleagues and politicians of the ministries have been in a different reality from March to May than the State Audit Office. Everything, ”the minister is laconic.
The State Audit Office promises to continue to closely monitor the spending of the crisis.
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