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CED-79-96 1 (1979-05-30)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabmti0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 



                      COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES
                              WASHINGTON. O.C. 20548        ak



        B-191654                                        MAY 30, 1979



        The Honorable Jacob K. Javits
        The Honorable Daniel P. Moynihan
        United States Senate

             At your request, we reviewed the U.S. Virgin Islands
        Comptroller's audit of the procurement actions for three
        desalination plants costing $15 million to provide needed
        freshwater to the Islands. On May 8, 1979, the Virgin
        Islands Legislature passed a bill appropriating $15.1 mil-
        lion to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority for
        the plants. The bill became law on May 18, 1979.

             In his December 1978 report, the Virgin Islands   Zl    /7/
        Comptroller concluded that the Water and Power Authority,
        an agency of the Virgin Islands government, had not fol-
        lowed sound procurement procedures in awarding the contract
        to Israel Desalination Engineering, Ltd. He therefore recom-
        mended that the contract not be funded and that the procure-
        ment be rebid, using all appropriate procurement procedures
        and the assistance of a qualified independent engineering
        firm. The recommendation, however, was advisory and there-
        xfore was not binding. A representative of Israel Desalina-
    3J1'7tion Engineering, Ltd. alleged that the Virgin Islands
-Lf     Comptroller had violated his statutory audit authority and
        acted improperly in trying to upset a contract which had
        been lawfully concluded.

             Our review, which was limited to the Virgin Islands
        Comptroller's audit, disclosed that he

             --had not exceeded his statutory authority in
               conducting the audit;

             --performed the audit according to GAO auditing
               standards; and

             --supported his findings, conclusions, and advisory
               recommendation by an objective analysis of pertinent
               documents and records and by pertinent interviews
               with appropriate Virgin Islands and Department of
        60     the Interior officials.



                                          0CED-79-96
                             120227

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