DOD watchdog confirms probes into Afghan spending

A special inspector general has confirmed that he’s conducting two full audits of a Pentagon task force accused of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) “will conduct a performance audit that will assess the strategy, planning, interagency coordination, oversight and outcomes of [the task force’s] programs and activities in Afghanistan,” John Sopko wrote in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and released by Grassley’s office Tuesday.

“In addition, SIGAR will perform a thorough financial audit to assess [the task force’s] internal controls, compliance, corrective actions taken on prior findings and recommendations, and outstanding liabilities,” he added.

{mosads}At issue is the Task Force for Business Stability Operations, which was meant to help rebuild the economy in Afghanistan.

The task force has come under fire after previous SIGAR reports found it spent $43 million on a compressed natural gas station and $150 million on private villas and security.

The Pentagon has pushed back on the $43 million figure, saying the gas station project cost $5.1 million.

SIGAR’s performance audit started in February and will end in early 2017, according to the letter.

The financial audit will start at the end of April and end in early 2017, the letter says.

Grassley, who has been looking into the task force as chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee, said the audits are needed to ensure taxpayer money was properly spent.

“These audits are necessary,” Grassley said in a written statement. “Someone needs to document whether the task force has the receipts and records to support its spending. Otherwise, the American taxpayers have no way of knowing whether they got what they paid for or whether there was outright fraud or theft.”