Colombia’s Comptroller General’s Office has classified the financial management of the judiciary as “unfavorable” following an audit, Colombia media reported Thursday.
An investigation of financial responsibility is being opened into the former presidents of the Administrative Chamber of the High Court, Judges Jose Alfredo Escobar and Hernando Torres as well and the executive director of Judicial Administration Juan Carlos Yepes.
In audit referred to issues that led to the opening of an investigation into the high-ranking officials.
Among them were inefficiency in the system of internal control, especially in the contracting process, failings in the execution and follow-up of processes of fiscal infrastructure, failings in the plans to reduce the black log in the judicial system.
In Manizales building work on the Palace of Justice went over budget by $7.2 million and was 18 months over schedule. The designs included intelligent elevators and private bathrooms for magistrates.
In Cali the rent paid on two floors of a modest building where trials take place is $8,800, double the value of the rent on the entire building.
According to the Comptroller General’s Office, on the construction works on the Palaces of Justice in Cali, Manizales, Mocoa, and Yopal as well Bogota’s Paloquemao judicial complex there is financial loss of $49 million.
It was reported that $253 million has been invested in reducing the backlog in the judicial system but it is not bearing fruit.
In 2006, $51,000 was designated for the training of employees in the judiciary; in fact the money was used to finance the celebration of the Supreme Court’s 120th anniversary.
According to the Comptroller General’s Office, the Criminal Court of Barranquilla it was found that it was issuing only one ruling per month, although it is supposed to issue at least 10.