site.btaNational Audit Office Forwards Seven Reports to Prosecution Service in 2024

The Bulgarian National Audit Office (BNAO) forwarded parts of seven audit reports to the prosecution service in 2024. These included financial audits of the 2023 consolidated annual financial statements of the Culture Ministry, a compliance audit of the financial management of the National Compensation Housing Fund for the period 2016-2021, and financial audits of the consolidated annual financial statements of five municipalities – Blagoevgrad, Montana, and Kozloduy for 2023, and Radomir and Kostenets for 2022, the BNAO said on Monday.

According to the National Audit Office Act, if available data point to a crime, BNAO is required to forward the audit report - or parts of it - along with supporting materials to the prosecution service. The National Audit Office cannot disclose any details in such cases until the completion of the criminal proceedings, the BNAO noted.

The BNAO sent 59 audit reports to the Public Financial Inspection Agency and 22 audit reports to the Public Procurement Agency regarding breaches of the Public Procurement Act. One audit report was sent to the National Revenue Agency, 171 audit reports were sent to the Council of Ministers and 124 to the chairpersons of municipal councils.

Over the past year, the National Audit Office also sent four audit reports to the National Assembly Chair and seven reports to six parliamentary committees, providing reliable financial information to support parliamentary scrutiny, the BNAO said.

Fifty-two audit reports were sent to the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, which is partnering in efforts to ensure the efficient use of the public funds of municipalities, the National Audit Office noted.