RKIK head assumes responsibility: Agency failed to make sure contract reached audit office
Estonian Center for Defense Investments (RKIK) Director General Elmar Vaher took responsibility for the fact that the National Audit Office did not receive the contract for a €70 million artillery shell deal despite repeatedly requesting it.
The National Audit Office has previously criticized the Estonian Center for Defense Investments (RKIK), which is responsible for procurement, for failing to provide it with the contract for a €70 million artillery shell deal despite repeated requests. RKIK maintained that the contract had been sent on June 5. The National Audit Office maintained that it had not received the contract.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart (Center), chair of the Riigikogu Anti-Corruption Select Committee, asked for an explanation of the situation at Thursday's meeting.
RKIK Director General Elmar Vaher said he was responsible for the error. He explained that at 3:26 p.m. on June 5, RKIK's head of audit sent four contracts to the National Audit Office. "We were convinced that the contract had been sent, but it turned out it hadn't been," Vaher said.
He added that he had also spoken with National Audit Office Director Janar Holm, who asked why RKIK had not sent the contracts. "I asked my staff and they said we had sent them and that was where the matter ended," Vaher said.
In his view, RKIK was at fault for failing to make sure the email had reached the National Audit Office. "We didn't put them in the cloud," Vaher said. He noted that the files consisted of four PDF documents that should have gone through by email. "I don't understand why they didn't," he said.
Kovalenko-Kõlvart then asked whether, given that the contracts were confidential, RKIK should have obtained confirmation from the National Audit Office that the email had arrived. "I wouldn't be inclined to regulate everything," Vaher replied. He added, however, that RKIK could do a better job of sending documents in the future.
The Anti-Corruption Select Committee held an extraordinary public meeting Thursday to discuss problems with the use of funds and corruption risks in the defense sector in light of a National Audit Office audit.
Estonia made €70 million in advance payments to a company for shells for Ukraine, but the firm had no record of producing the required ammunition and failed to deliver. The dispute is now in court.
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Editor: Merilin Leetna, Marcus Turovski
