In April 2022, a series of audits of institutions was launched by the Superior Authority for State Control and the Fight against Corruption (ASCE-LC).
On Thursday 9 March 2023, in Ouagadougou, the State Controller General revealed the financial irregularities found in the financial management of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Presidency of Faso, over the period 2018 and 2021.
The biggest shortfall was found at the National Assembly, under the presidency of Alassane Bala Sakandé. It concerns more than ten billion FCFA.
“More than 13 billion CFA francs of financial irregularities were recorded under the management of President Alassane Bala Sakandé between 2018 and 2021,” said Phillipe Nion, General State Controller at the Superior Authority of State Control and Fight against Corruption (ASCE-LC).
The offences include overbilling, unjustified payments, loss of resources under public orders, financing of the fight against the coronavirus, “vehicle loans,” mission expenses…
“A person who is neither a member of parliament nor a parliamentary official benefited from a medical evacuation paid for by the National Assembly. Some people who benefited from this evacuation were paid mission expenses without justification,” said Mr Nion.
In early 2022, in order to have the audit cancelled, the former president of the National Assembly, Alassane Bala Sakandé, referred the audit decision issued by the ASCE-LC to the Administrative Court of Ouagadougou. After nearly a year of legal proceedings, the Court declared the appeal inadmissible on 21 February.
The audit also concerned the Presidency of Faso, under the former head of state, Roch Kaboré, where nearly 700 million FCFA were “irregularly” spent. The ASCE-LC notes that these failures are attributable to 72 public officials.
At the level of the Prime Minister’s Office, CFAF 1.953 billion of financial and accounting irregularities were revealed between 2018 and 2021. In August 2022, former Prime Minister Christophe Dabiré was heard by the ASCE-LC on his management of the ‘special funds’ of the Prime Minister’s Office.
In April 2022, the State Controller General launched a series of audits of public institutions, including the army.
DS/ac/lb/APA