Press Release

Procurement and Financial Assistance Fraud Training on Guam

Public Auditor Haser Hainrick along with nine of his staffs from the Audit and the Investigation Divisions at the Main Office and at the Chuuk Field Office completed a course on Procurement and Financial Assistance Fraud held recently on Guam from 5-7 November 2007.  The participants consisted of auditors, investigators and litigators from the Insular Areas such as Palau , American Samoa , FSM and the Northern Marianas Islands and Guam .   Marshall Island was invited but did not attend.  The course was organized and delivered by Mr. Robert Knox and Mr. Scott Culver, two senior investigation officials from the Office of Inspector General, Department of the Interior (DOI) in Washington DC with Mr. Ben Privitt from the DOI/ Office of Inspector General (OIG) in Guam responsible for the logistics and coordination with the participating Governments.   The costs for attending the course were paid for by a technical training grant which was awarded earlier this year to ONPA from the DOI/Office of Insular Affairs (OIA).

The topics included a discussion on the DOI/OIG and its Special Integrity Unit, procurement and financial assistance concept, fraud schemes in procurement and financial assistance programs, public corruption investigations, investigative teaming with investigators, auditors and prosecutors, interview considerations in white collar crime investigations, and investigative tools and techniques available for complex fraud cases.

The ONPA participating staff appreciated very much the DOI/OIG for sponsoring the valuable training course and the continuing assistance and support. Likewise, the ONPA staff are thankful to the DOI/OIA for the training grant.