Auditor-General Inquiry Welcomed

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Auditor-General’s decision to begin an investigation into the the Saudi Arabia Food Security Partnership which saw $11.5 million of taxpayers' money used to establish a sheep farm in a Saudi desert and make payments to a Saudi businessman. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says:

“In May we wrote to Ms Provost requesting an investigation to ascertain whether the funding for this venture was obtained under false pretences. Despite the Government releasing 900 pages of documents since then, taxpayers are none the wiser on precisely what the legal threat was which according to Mr McCully justified this spending."

“We are currently taking advice on whether a complaint to the Serious Fraud Office is also justified. It appears that the Saudi party may have been instructed by a New Zealand official to create an invoice with a false description. If that occurred, a criminal investigation is justified."

ENDS

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