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NI Audit Office hits out at board £80k for invisible library work
(about 3 hours later)
A Northern Ireland Audit Office report has criticised the way building and maintenance jobs were run by the Belfast Education and Library Board. £80,000 was paid for work which was never done at two Belfast libraries by the city's education board, an Audit Office report has found.
The report said the board failed to protect itself against the risk of fraud. This was for disability legislation alterations at the Whitewell and Oldpark libraries.
Practices in the board since the 1990s led to allegations of price-fixing, bribery and favouritism in the awarding of contracts to building firms. The report also found the board failed to protect itself against potential fraud by building contractors.
They were investigated and some of the allegations found to be true. Furthermore, it said that internal practices undermined any criminal case that might have been mounted.
Although no criminal charges were brought, some staff were disciplined. "Not only were controls weak, they were bypassed by middle managers; policy was not followed, and there was a lack of management oversight and review," read the report.
The audit office also looked at building work in libraries which had been badly done or not carried out at all. It was prompted by whistleblower allegations of price-fixing, bribery and favouritism in the awarding of contracts to building firms, dating back to the 1990s, at the Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB)
In the Whitewell and Oldpark libraries, alterations to comply with disability legislation were paid for but not carrried out. The report also found instances of shoddy workmanship and overcharging at Whiterock and other library branches.
The report catalogues shoddy workmanship and overcharging at Whiterock and other library branches. Indeed the attitude seemed to be that maintenance ran itself and senior managers either did not understand or had little interest in the area Audit Office report
The Audit Office said the key to preventing fraud was to check invoices and physically examine the work done before paying for it. The Audit Office said the key to preventing fraud was to check invoices and physically examining the work done before paying for it.
Investigators said the absence of documentation meant prosecutions were unlikely to succeed. Investigators said the absence of documentation meant prosecutions were unlikely to succeed. Some staff have been disciplined.
The report continued: "Indeed the attitude seemed to be that maintenance ran itself and senior managers either did not understand or had little interest in the area.
"The Belfast Education and Library Road has attributed its problems to a culture in which contractors became overtly powerful."