Presenting the results of the internal audit on Wednesday, Minister of the Interior Andres Anvelt (SDE) said that the audit did not find malicious intent or negligence in the increase int he cost of the construction of Estonia's eastern border or the project taking more time than planned to complete. He described both the shifting timeline and the increase in the overall cost of the project as inevitable.

According to Anvelt, both the ministry and the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) have taken account of the recommendations of the interim audit and made adjustments accordingly to the organisation of their work.

The auditors note that the management of the border project and supervision thereof are being organised at a satisfactory level, and that the Ministry of the Interior and the PPA have significantly improved their management of the project during the first half of this year.

The auditors also find that a control and oversight structure with a clear division of duties has been established for the management of the project, which creates good preconditions for the successful implementation of the project when shortcomings highlighted by the audit are eliminated.

Audit finds some shortcomings

Tarmo Olgo, director of the Internal Audit Department of the Ministry of the Interior and chief of the audit, said that the organisation of risk management in the project was not at the required level. Risk management did not follow the general risk management guidelines in force at the PPA, and the PPA did not have, and does not currently have, employees with sufficient experience in the management of a large scale project such as this one.

The third shortcoming, according to Olgo, was the organisation of several tenders utilising exclusions provided for by the Public Procurement Act.

PPA Director General Elmar Vaher said that his department acted in good faith to build the best possible border. The PPA requested and was granted permission from the Ministry of the Interior to use an exclusion, which was necessary as the construction of Estonia's eastern border is subject to state secret, and many border-related details must be shielded from becoming known to criminal organisations or foreign governments.