The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) has been flagged in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report over payments made without adequate supporting documentation.
According to the report, a total of NLe1,108,100 was withdrawn from the Authority’s bank account on various dates without payment vouchers or relevant supporting documents to justify the utilisation of the funds.
The Auditor-General recommended that the Director of Finance ensure that all payment vouchers and supporting documents are submitted for verification. Failure to do so, the report stated, should result in the recovery of the funds, with proof of refund presented to the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL).
In its official response, the Authority indicated that the required documents are available for audit inspection, noting that invoices, receipts, and delivery notes would be presented during the verification exercise.
However, the Auditor-General noted that only NLe708,100 worth of payment vouchers and supporting documents were submitted and verified, leaving an outstanding balance of NLe400,000. The issue was therefore deemed partially resolved.
In a related finding, the audit also revealed that NLe652,555 was paid to contract staff over seven inconsistent months without the submission of signed salary vouchers to confirm the payments.
The Auditor-General recommended that the Director of Finance provide the signed salary vouchers to justify the payments or ensure that the amount is refunded to the Authority’s account.
Responding to the query, the Authority stated that the relevant documents would be made available during the verification process.
Subsequent audit review confirmed that signed salary vouchers amounting to NLe373,308 were submitted and verified, leaving an outstanding balance of NLe279,247. This issue was also classified as partially resolved.
