Supreme Audit Office criticizes Defence Ministry for mismanagement of finances

The Supreme Audit Office has issued a report criticizing the Defence Ministry for poor planning and mismanagement of finances relating to maintenance of army equipment.

It says that in 2016 to 2018, the Ministry of Defence invested 2.8 billion crowns in new equipment and another 1.3 billion crowns were spent on repairs, maintenance and spare parts.

Nevertheless, some of the equipment was not operational when needed or was grounded for longer periods. Inspections also revealed a dependence on suppliers or overpriced repairs.