Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, October 1, 2018
Finally! OHA Is Being Audited for Fraud, Waste and Abuse
By Keli'i Akina PhD @ 8:02 PM :: 5465 Views :: Ethics, OHA

Finally! OHA Is Being Audited for Fraud, Waste and Abuse

by Keli’i Akina, PhD, OHA Trustee at-Large, Ka Wai Ola, October, 2018

After well over a year of waiting, the highly anticipated independent audit of OHA and its subsidiary LLCs for fraud, waste and abuse, promised by the Board of Trustees, is finally underway.

While I am still deeply concerned about the amount of time it has taken to begin this audit, I do want to thank my fellow Trustees for following through and making good on our promise to OHA's beneficiaries. As a result of their support and resolve, this audit is finally moving forward.

As so much time has passed since the audit was first approved, it is probably good to remind everyone of the goals of this audit. First, this audit is an exercise that can improve and strengthen the relationship between Trustees and the Administration through improved governance policies. Secondly, and importantly, it can improve OHA's reputation by providing a higher level of assurance to the public that Trustees and all of OHA are striving for more accountability for every trust dollar spent. Finally, the independent audit can restore beneficiary trust and confidence in the Board's transparency and management.

In my role as Chair of the Audit Advisory Committee, I helped craft the scope of work for the audit. Rather than duplicate the work of other types of audits already conducted on OHA, we set out to craft a unique audit, one that would produce a more complete picture of OHA's financial health and specifically search out fraud, waste and abuse. With this in mind, I resolved to have OHA's wholly-owned LLCs included in the audit, even though that was likely to face some resistance.

Then, in February 2018, the state Auditor published a scathing report on OHA. Just weeks later, the public attention to OHA's finances reached a fever pitch when it was reported by Hawaii News Now that OHA was allegedly under investigation by the FBI and state Attorney General for corruption and misappropriation.

Finally, last month, OHA awarded the $500,000 contract for audit services to renowned financial and consulting services firm, Clifton Larson Allen LLP ("CLA").

Now the work begins!

CLA is tasked with conducting a thorough, systematic examination of OHA and LLC contracts and other funds disbursements over the span of five fiscal years (FY 2012 to FY 2016). The CLA team will present its final report to the Board in April 2019, barring any further delays.

It is my expectation that the independent audit will help to Jay the foundation for a stronger, more efficient OHA that will better serve its beneficiaries. I truly believe that this audit is the best thing that can be done at this time to illustrate to OHA's beneficiaries, the public and the media that OHA is taking steps towards integrity, openness, and transparency.

Stay tuned for the final audit report, to be presented to the Board of Trustees in April, 2019.

And, as always, E Hana Kakou I Let's Work Together!

Trustee Akina welcomes your comments and feedback at TrusteeAkina@oha.org.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT