The accounts of the prison tuck shop are being investigated for irregularities after a request for information by The Times revealed dubious figures.
Among the oddities was a €2,896 “donation” in a year when the tuck shop made a €3,681 loss, over €1,000 spent on “paper bags” in 2011 and accountancy fees that quadrupled from €2,100 to €8,500 between 2008 and 2011.
A Home Affairs Ministry spokesman confirmed that both the chief of staff and the permanent secretary had requested a thorough audit of the prison tuck shop. The system in place there is expected to be completely overhauled as part of a wider reform in prison.
According to the ministry spokesman, balance sheets “do not offer a real picture of the tuck shop’s accounts”.
The request under the Freedom of Information Act was made after an analysis by The Times had found that many tuck shop items were sold at prices significantly higher than those of supermarkets.
Despite the inflated prices and the market monopoly situation it enjoys among Corradino prison’s 600-odd inmates, the tuck shop lost money in 2008 and only managed a slim profit in 2011 and 2012.
The previous Administration had explained the price discrepancies,...
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