Govt slams Principal Auditor's report as 'deeply flawed, factually inaccurate & politically biased'

The Government has described the Principal Auditor's report as deeply flawed, factually inaccurate, and politically biased.

It says it respects the role of independent auditing but condemned the tone, content, and methodology of this particular report, which it claimed failed to meet professional standards and was written in a “tabloid style.”

Number Six Convent Place says the 500-page report contains numerous factual errors, selective disclosures, and politically charged interpretations of Government processes and motives.

The Government criticises what it sees as a lack of balance, noting that the report failed to give weight to explanations provided by civil servants and accused officials without granting them the opportunity to respond.

The report says the GHA audited accounts for 2013/14 and 2014/15 had not been laid in Parliament by the reporting deadline.

The Government says those accounts were presented ten days before the reporting cut-off, a mistake it describes as a serious factual error that “casts doubt on the reliability of the rest of the report.”

The statement also accuses the Auditor of ignoring reasonable administrative timelines. For example, some departments received letters on 30 and 31 May, just days before the reporting deadline, but were criticised for not replying immediately.

Number Six argues this gave a false impression of obstruction where, in fact, engagement had been “fluid, transparent, and constructive.”

It says the  Auditor mentioned the political affiliation of a senior official at the GDC, while failing to disclose that a whistleblower cited in the report is the spouse of a sitting GSD MP.

It claimed this selective approach undermined the appearance of neutrality and reinforced suspicions of political favouritism toward the Opposition.

Additionally, the Government takes issue with the Auditor’s claim that the Chief Minister had acted “unconstitutionally”, saying this is an extraordinary overreach, and questions his competence to interpret constitutional law.

The Government argues that the report as a whole fails to meet internationally accepted auditing standards, and says there's no evidence that findings were shared with the Government before publication, an essential requirement in professional auditing to ensure responses are heard and taken into account.

It says the report appears rushed, and  this, combined with the other factors, indicated a broader pattern of politically motivated conduct by the former Auditor.

Number Six says the Auditor has previously participated in a public protest against Government pay policy for high earners, which the it says calls his impartiality into question.

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GBC has asked the Government for an interview on the Principal Auditor's Report but has not yet received a reply.