The preliminary results of an audit of the Cambodian human resources section of the Khmer Rouge tribunal, commissioned by the UN Development Program, have been delivered to court officials, the UNDP said in a statement late Tuesday.
Officials from the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia now have an opportunity to comment on the findings, the UNDP statement said.
“Subject to the response from ECCC on the audit findings, appropriate actions will be taken without delay on the audit findings,” the UNDP added.
ECCC Public Affairs Chief Helen Jarvis on Wednesday confirmed that Sean Visoth, the court’s Cambodian director of administration, had received the draft audit report.
“He’s looking at it carefully and considering his response,” she said.
The report, Jarvis added, came from the UNDP’s New York office and was sent to both the Cambodian side of the court and the UNDP’s Phnom Penh office on Tuesday.
Peter Foster, the tribunal’s UN public affairs officer, said officials from the UN side of the court had not yet received a copy.
The audit was sparked by concerns over hiring practices on the Cambodian side of the court that arose late last year.
Auditors from Candide Consulting, a Kuala Lumpur-based firm, visited the court from Jan 28 to Feb 2 and returned again from March 27 to 30, this time accompanied by officials from the UNDP’s Office of Audit and Performance Review.
The UNDP oversees more than $6 million donated to the Cambodian side of the court, most of which came from funds leftover from the Untac period and from the European Commission.
German Ambassador Pius Fischer said he had not yet received a copy of the audit report.
“I’ll ask for it,” he said. “The audit covers the contribution of the European Union. I do hope I will receive a copy.”
In its statement, the UNDP said internal audit reports are not made public as a matter of course. UNDP spokesman Men Kimseng could not be reached for comment.
