By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Sen. Telo Taitague is seeking to investigate the Guam Homeland Security and Office of Civil Defense’s alleged mismanagement and misuse of federal and local funds.
“While Guam Homeland Security is traditionally federally
funded, it has come to light that the general fund has been used to subsidize Guam Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Defense,” Taitague said.
“The allegations of co-mingling federal funds with other federal grants, are deeply troubling and require urgent action,” she added.
The Republican senator requested the Committee on Public Safety and Emergency Management to hold an oversight hearing for GHS/OCD on the heels of the Office of Public Accountability’s audit, which red-flagged $2.8 million in overtime costs incurred by the agency.
“Transparency and accountability in the management of public funds are non-negotiable,” Taitague said. “This is especially critical for agencies tasked with safeguarding our community and ensuring the readiness of our island.”
The OPA said the questioned overtime expenses were non-compliant with local and federal laws, the Department of Administration’s Personnel Rules and Regulations and standard operating procedures of the Bureau of Budget Management and Research.
Read related story
The auditors found three areas of concern related to overtime payments: lack of authorization, over-expenditure and lack of documentation.
“This warrants legislative review to ensure compliance and proper resource management,” Taitague said.
“The mismanagement of government resources undermines public trust and warrants corrective actions to address these concerns effectively and remedy the situation.”
An oversight hearing initially set for Nov. 13, 2024 was canceled and was never rescheduled before the end of the term.
“It is crucial that we address the OPA’s findings and allegations of excessive and inappropriate use of public funds,” Taitague said in a letter to Sen. Shawn Gumataotao, committee chair.
Subscribe to
our digital
monthly edition
Comments