MPLA travels go under OPA scrutiny

The Office of the Public Auditor is set to start an audit survey on the travel costs of the Marianas Public Lands Authority.

Acting on allegations brought to light by Senate President Joaquin Adriano, public auditor Michael S. Sablan said in a letter to MPLA that the survey would initially cover the current fiscal year’s transactions and would be done to determine whether an audit or other type of review is necessary.

As part of the survey, OPA personnel will be examining accounting records of all travels done by MPLA officials from Oct. 1, 2004 to the present, as well as all corresponding travel documents, such as travel authorizations, travel vouchers, trip reports, amendments, and others.

OPA will also be looking at the list of MPLA employees, consultants, and board members, and the agency’s detailed organizational chart for FY 2004 to the present.

Sablan added, however, that the survey would not be limited to the mentioned records.

“[O]ther areas may be covered during the course of the survey. A significant part of the survey will also be spent on interviews and inquiries with MPLA personnel who are in charge of the listed survey areas,” he said.

In an interview yesterday, MPLA chair Ana Demapan-Castro said OPA is welcome to examine all of the agency’s records.

“We understand that it is OPA’s function to audit government agency. Our records are open for their inspection anytime. We have nothing to hide,” Demapan-Castro said.

Sablan said in his April 5 letter that OPA would be contacting MPLA within two weeks to finalize the schedule of the audit survey.

He also asked MPLA commissioner Edward Deleon Guerrero to designate a specific MPLA official or staff member who will serve as the principal contact person and coordinator during the survey.

OPA’s action was prompted by Adriano’s February 2005 letter accusing MPLA of spending over $50,000 in public funds for what he described as “unwarranted” trips to the United States in December 2004 and January 2005.

“I am in receipt of solid information that MPLA board members took trips to the United States mainland during this time period, and that many of these trips over the holiday season and into the New Year were allegedly for personal pleasure, rather than public purposes,” Adriano had said.

“At a time when the board should have been acting on revenue generating proposals for the government, it appears that MPLA officials have been off squandering public funds for their pleasure,” Adriano had added. “It is estimated that these trips to the United States have cost over $50,000 in taxpayer money. These allegations are extremely serious and OPA must ensure that there has been no improper use of public funds.”