Member of the Greens and Chairman of Parliament’s Audit Committee Outi Alanko-Kahiluoto has invited the auditor Tytti Yli-Viikari makes a public statement on the scandal that gripped the National Audit Office (VTV).
Yli-Viikari threatens to suspend his mission when the media say he has spent thousands of euros on taxpayers’ money for beauty services and travel.
Deep distrust in the management of the Audit Office affects VTV’s personnel, Alanko-Kahiluoto said.
"Therefore, it is not just Yli-Viikari, but the entire staff. If the questions are not answered, the suspicion only grows," Alanko-Kahiluoto stated and added that it is difficult for him to understand why Yli-Viikari does not want to answer, for example, questions that have arisen from the use of his flight points.
"If he has not used flight points, why does he not disclose the balance of his points account? He could easily do it right away, and the doubts disappeared. VTV is a key Finnish audit authority, and we should all be able to trust that" Alanko-Kahiluoto said.
Papers: Less auditing during Yli-Viikari’s term
Tabloid newspapers Evening paper and Evening News (External links in Finnish) both announced on Friday that the core functions of the Audit Office – by looking at how other government agencies use public money – have been significantly reduced as Yli-Viikari’s auditor.
Alanko-Kahiluoto said in response that she does not yet have time to delve into the reports.
"This finding has not been disclosed in committee hearings, but may need to be considered separately," he said.
According to Iltalehti’s report, VTV’s reports have been censored and one staff member was ordered to destroy the inspection report.
"It is really serious if this has happened and, of course, it needs to be addressed," Alanko-Kahiluoto said.
The Green Party MP has chaired the Audit Committee for two years, when the atmosphere in the Court of Auditors has become a topic of discussion.
"After hearing staff representatives in connection with VTV’s annual report, it became clear that the agency’s job satisfaction was low. A number of measures have been taken to improve interaction and staff consultation, but they are clearly not enough," Alanko-Kahiluoto said.
Auditing of auditors
Parliament’s Audit Committee is currently examining VTV’s internal control and risk management, as well as the principles of good governance in the agency. The report is expected to be completed this month.
At the same time, the parliamentary auditors carry out a separate additional audit of VTV’s accounts.
According to Alanko-Kahiluoto, the committee’s report contains concrete proposals for improving VTV’s internal processes.
"There must be someone who also oversees the auditorโs spending," he said.
The director of VTV denies the allegations
Iltalehti also said that VTV’s auditing activities are generally more favorable to the audited agencies as Yli-Viikari’s auditor.
Director of the Agency, Mikko Koiranen, told BT news agency that this is not true.
"This is not the case" The dog said. "There has certainly been a reason why the reports and their content have changed. After all, the question is how things are expressed and used and what kind of adjectives when taking a stand on the issue. Whether the statements are based on information obtained or opinions expressed during the audit process. The people interviewed in the story of Iltalehti have generalized their own experiences to be applied to the entire activities of the agency."
Several Iltalehti interviewees also noted that the agency had been practiced for years with a culture of fear, saying that those who questioned the policies of the leaders were punished with reduced salaries and additional costs. Koiranen declined to comment on these allegations.
"There is no reason to start such a public debate about managing fear," he said.
BTI did not meet with Yli-Viikari to comment, but Koiranen said he was aware that he was commenting on the matter to the news agency.
Source: The Nordic Page