The private contractor that trains the Afghan police force, a U.S. military program long criticized for wasting money, has failed to document millions of dollars in expenses, according to a leading defense audit agency.
A November 2009 audit by the Defense Contract Audit Agency, made public Friday by a Senate subcommittee on contracting oversight, uncovered serious deficiencies in how DynCorp International tracks payroll, bills from subcontractors, cost vouchers and millions of dollars in labor costs. In sum, the audit found many of DynCorp’s billing and financial controls to be inadequate.
The audit is notable for providing the first hard look at the company’s financial accountability in Afghanistan, where since 2004 it has played a key role training the Afghan National Police. This effort is critical to the drawdown of U.S. troops.
DynCorp is likely to continue its work in Afghanistan through the end of the year. Its current multi-million dollar contract, which had been expected to expire in January, was extended until August because of a dispute over how the Defense Department would choose a new contractor. Now the Pentagon is promising a full and open competition, which could begin within two weeks.
DynCorp spokesman Jason Rossbach said the Nov. 27, 2009 audit was outdated and that “many of the corrective actions were completed.” He added that Defense auditors are still validating DynCorp’s fixes.
