WASHINGTON – The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) has released the first of three reports on police training contracts in Iraq. The January 25 report, entitled, “Long-Standing Weaknesses in Department of State’s (DoS) Oversight of DynCorp Contract for Support the Iraqi Police Training Program,” focuses on DoS administration of the $2.5 billion contract with DynCorp.
Senator Susan Collins, R-Me., Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, made this statement regarding the Special Inspector General’s findings:
“According to a new independent government audit, a federal contract worth $2.5 billion for Iraq police training programs has been subjected to lax oversight and poor management, making every dollar of that contract vulnerable to waste, fraud and abuse," said Senator Susan Collins. "The findings by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction are simply outrageous and illustrate the need to move quickly and systemically to reform how the government manages federal contracts in the field, particularly in complex environments like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Haiti.
“Companies that receive federal contracts must supply all required documentation, meet established deadlines, and comply with contract performance standards. That did not happen in this case. In its investigation, the SIGIR reported that a contractor’s documentation was so deficient in one case that it would take ‘three to five years to reconstruct the paper trail for these suspicious charges.’ If companies want federal contracts, then they must meet the requirements of those contracts and our laws. The American taxpayer expects nothing less."