The Ministry of Information and Communications has issued, ‘a statement of fact’, saying the ministry will not respond to some media that have been carrying unauthenticated information about the construction of the three domestic airports.
It says the MoIC will respond to all media when the official exchange with the RAA is over and RAA’s report is released.
The statement says that one newspaper, and sections of BBS news, have been quoting and reproducing verbatim, a premature Royal Audit Authority (RAA) observation.
It says since this audit observation, MoIC and Department of Civil Aviation have had three high-level formal meetings and a number of informal discussions with the RAA and that the ministry has also handed over to the RAA numerous government documents in response to RAA’s initial observations.
“It is unfortunate that an incomplete audit report is given to the media, obviously with ulterior motives. The media have ignored the most basic tenet of journalism, that is to seek the opinion of an organisation or individual it is writing about.”
The statement also says that MoIC is not responding to the media because it is not appropriate to conduct an auditing process through the media. “The official period given to the ministry to respond is not even over. Such a period is sub judice in a legal case and is at least unethical and immoral in the case of an auditing process.”
