Supreme Audit Office: Environment Ministry doubled spending on consultants under Chalupa

The Ministry of the Environment hugely increased its spending on consultancy and legal services during a period when it was helmed by Civic Democrat minister Tomáš Chalupa, the Supreme Audit Office said on Monday. The ministry spent CZK 48 million on such services in 2012, twice as much as the previous year, the agency said. A current spokesperson for the ministry said savings had been made on salaries under Mr. Chalupa and that the consultants had been hired to carry out checks on an environmental operational programme, which channels EU funding. Among the Supreme Audit Office’s findings was that the Ministry of the Environment spent over CZK 110,000 on around 70 frames for photographs.

Author: Ian Willoughby