DOD Can Combat Fraud Better by Strengthening Its Investigative Agencies

Gao ID: AFMD-83-33 March 21, 1983

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed efforts of the Army, Navy, and Air Force investigative agencies to combat fraud.

The Department of Defense (DOD) has four separate criminal investigative agencies to prevent, detect, and investigate fraud in its operations. GAO found that one way these agencies could strengthen their fraud investigations would be to limit them to cases involving significant allegations. Some problems that hinder criminal investigators in pursuing fraud in DOD programs include the requirement that the Navy and Air Force criminal investigators seek a commanding officer's request to conduct an investigation before proceeding; Army investigators must receive approval before they can investigate high-ranking officials. A criminal investigator is hindered by virtually nonexistent U.S. legal jurisdiction over the civilians accompanying the Armed Forces overseas. Further, investigators do not follow up to see whether there is an adequate response to their findings. GAO believes that efforts to combat fraud in DOD could be strengthened if the criminal investigators operated more independently. Compared with the inspector general organizations, those who investigate fraud in the Army, Navy, and Air Force are less independent of operations.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: John J. Adair Team: General Accounting Office: Accounting and Financial Management Division Phone: (202) 275-5200


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