The audit of secret services is a challenge for state auditors. Due to the specific nature of issues these institutions deal with, their work remains top secret. It is in the interest of the state to make sure the details of their activity, especially the ones related to operational work, remain undisclosed. ”Yet, I don’t agree with the thesis that we should know nothing at all of secret services” - says Marek Bieńkowski, Director of the Department of Public Order and Internal Security. ”These are some of many institutions operating in a democratic country for taxpayers’ money. Our audits do not leave out any of them.”
Interview with Marek Bieńkowski on the audit of secret services
NIK audits secret services
Every year, the NIK auditors visit among others the Foreign Intelligence Agency, Internal Security Agency, Central Anti-Corruption Bureau as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation, operating within the Police. They verify how public money is spent in those institutions. For some time already, NIK has audited how secret services manage particular tasks. An example? The Supreme Audit Office is now completing an audit on the recruitment system and initial on-the-job training in four largest secret service institutions: the Internal Security Agency, Central Anti-Corruption Bureau, Police and Border Guard. ”We identified both exemplary practices and some cases of blatant errors. Our report will be ready soon and its findings may prove very useful for the services” - says Bieńkowski.
How are auditors received in such specific institutions as the Foreign Intelligence Agency, Internal Security Agency or Central Anti-Corruption Bureau? The former Chief Commander of the Police admits that when NIK started a performance audit, the secret service institutions had some doubts if NIK was a relevant institution to handle that. ”The doubts disappeared in no time” - says Bieńkowski. ”The services’ heads quickly found out that the NIK auditors by no means tried to address their confidential issues. They also became aware of some benefits: they were provided with a free and professional audit which may be a clear-cut help in managing their institution.
Bieńkowski underlines that the key audit findings are of system nature. Inspectors identify badly functioning areas in those institutions and propose concrete solutions. According to the former Chief Commander of the Police, the auditors’ work is more and more often appreciated. ”There were cases where the heads of the services we audited after hearing the comments of the NIK inspectors, offered them a job”- according to Bieńkowski this is a strong confirmation of how competent the NIK employees are.
The greatest challenge ahead of NIK is now related to the audit of supervision over secret services. The Sejm Committee of Administration and Internal Affairs addressed President Jacek Jezierski with a request to audit the services next year. ”We want to check if the methods of operational work used by individual service institutions are compatible with one another. And if there is a comprehensive system of secret services in Poland which is effectively used and really supervised” - announces Bieńkowski.
