Category Archives: Breakdowns in Accountability

State Audit finds careless record keeping could cost Missouri taxpayers millions (US)

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Synercon

Could careless record keeping cost Missouri taxpayers millions of dollars? It’s a possibility as the feds try to recoup millions in questionable welfare payouts. Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich latest Single State Audit reveals some startling numbers. “Right now we’re … Continue reading →

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Poor record keeping frustrates work of Sole Commissioner (Ghana)

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Synercon

Difficulties in retrieving poorly filed national documents threaten to hamper the work of the Judgement Debt Commission (JDC) as witnesses continue to plead for more time to search for and furnish the Commission with documents on judgement debt payments. At … Continue reading →

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Call for overhaul of Major Projects Victoria

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Synercon

The Victorian auditor-general has released a scathing report into the operations and governance of Major Projects Victoria (MPV), saying the body does not operate effectively, efficiently or economically. The report found poor governance standards and a lack of accountability mean … Continue reading →

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Spain’s four-decade baby-snatching nightmare

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Synercon

Nobody knows exactly how many Spanish women were victims of the baby-snatching industry. Because it seemed to operate with the willful ignorance — at the very least — of the state, and with the collusion of the Catholic Church, the … Continue reading →

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Audit: ND university awarded unearned degrees

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Synercon

Lax recordkeeping and oversight resulted in hundreds of degrees being awarded to students who didn’t finish their course work. Others enrolled who couldn’t speak English or hadn’t achieved the “C” average normally required for admission. The audit report depicts Dickinson … Continue reading →

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NSW Auditor slams agency contract extensions (AUS)

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Synercon

A recent audit by the NSW Audit Office criticised two state agencies for lack of transparency in contracting. NSW Police and NSW Health failed to produce records justifying a range of contract extensions worth $15million. Read more: ITNews February 1, … Continue reading →

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Update: U.S. Defense Department (still) can’t account for billions for Iraq

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Synercon

Reporting on two new government audits which are still trying to track down $2 billion for Iraq-related expenses. Read more: CNN January 29, 2012 Read more: Nationa Journal January 29, 2012

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Old mortgages rise from the dead, haunt homeowners (US)

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Synercon

 (Reuters) – In July 2009, Roy and Sheila Bowers refinanced the mortgage on their suburban ranch home in Topeka, Kansas. The couple wanted to take advantage of the low interest rates that were all the rage at the time…. But … Continue reading →

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Bowen exposed by poor DIAC records

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Synercon

An unpublished audit of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship handed to the department in February found that inadequate record-keeping and a focus on compliance, rather than decision integrity, were threatening to undermine the system. And, the audit found, failure … Continue reading →

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At probe’s end, San Bruno pipe’s origin is unknown (US)

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Synercon

ASHBURN, VA. — Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has been unable to provide federal investigators with records showing where it got the pipe that exploded in San Bruno, officials said Monday – a failure that has major implications for the … Continue reading →

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Thomson records missing (AUS)

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Synercon

FINANCIAL records for the period of Craig Thomson’s reign over the beleaguered Health Services Union are missing, a major impediment to investigations by authorities into the credit card scandal threatening Julia Gillard’s government. Well-placed health union sources told The Saturday … Continue reading →

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Montebello Records ‘Absolutely Lacking,’ (US)

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Synercon

A report released last month indicates Montebello kept almost no records during the last five years on projects and programs funded by grants from the federal housing authority. A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, spokesperson said their auditors … Continue reading →

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Victorian WorkSafe agents slammed in new ombudsman report (AUS)

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Synercon

The Victorian Ombudsman has handed down a scathing report on the state’s WorkSafe agencies, noting numerous privacy breaches and delays in payments as a result of poor record keeping practices. The report into record keeping practices has made a number … Continue reading →

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Messy legacy Land transport supremo inherits problem- ridden CVLB (Malaysia)

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Synercon

IN a move to establish a comprehensive database for commercial vehicles and operators, the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) will face a daunting task with its re-registration exercise for transport operators. They now have to start from scratch to build … Continue reading →

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Lax oversight of school construction raises doubts about earthquake safety (US)

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Conni

This article in California Watch delivers background to an emerging story set to cause a huge public outcry. Major feature: sloppy incomplete recordkeeping. State regulators have routinely failed to enforce California’s landmark earthquake safety law for public schools, allowing children … Continue reading →

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Politicians, elections and missing records (US)

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Synercon

How Huckabee destroyed hard drives in data purge just before his 2008 presidential bid. In an controversy re-ignited today by Mother Jones magazine, it has been revealed that the computer hard drives containing records from Huckabee’s tenure as Arkansas governor … Continue reading →

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CAG cites discrepancies in defence land records (India)

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Synercon

In its report on Defence Estates Management, the government auditor (Comptroller and Auditor General) asked the Defence Ministry to take “strict disciplinary action” against officers “who turn a blind eye to the illegal use of defence land for years on … Continue reading →

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Audit finds subpar record-keeping at Energy Dept.’s loan guarantee program (US)

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Synercon

One way to improve the Department of Energy’s controversial $71-billion loan guarantee program? Auditors recommend better record-keeping.

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Richmond City Audit Shows Problems In Public Works Department (US)

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Synercon

They fill those pesky potholes, pick up your trash, and remove snow from your street. But according to a new audit, there’s no records to show what or if any job was actually done by Richmond Public Works employees. City Auditor … Continue reading →

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Ombudsman’s report slams poor recordkeeping (Australia)

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Synercon

The Ombudsman’s report into the probilty of the Hotel Windsor Redevelopment has slammed record keeping by several departments. “I was disappointed with the standard of record-keeping, especially that of the Department (of Planning and Community Development), Heritage Victoria, and the … Continue reading →

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