The Auditor General of Mali has released a report highlighting serious weaknesses in the management of the Office Central de Lutte contre l'Enrichissement Illicite (OCLEI). The audit, which covered the period from January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025, aimed to assess the effectiveness of OCLEI's strategic leadership and operational activities in achieving its objectives. The report reveals that OCLEI's management has several shortcomings.
One of the major issues identified is the non-compliance with the internal regulations regarding the composition of OCLEI's activity poles. The Prevention and Asset Declaration Pole has four members, exceeding the maximum of three allowed, while the Cooperation Pole has only one member, falling short of the minimum of two required. Additionally, the Council fails to develop an annual activity program and adopt its budgets within the required timeframe.
The audit also found inconsistencies between some deliberations and minutes of meetings, which can lead to divergent information on the same subjects. These weaknesses hinder the Council's ability to contribute fully to achieving OCLEI's objectives. The Auditor General has made recommendations to the President of OCLEI, including respecting the composition of poles, developing and adopting annual programs, and ensuring coherence between minutes and deliberations.
The audit report also highlights issues with the effectiveness of OCLEI's risk management system. The Internal Audit Service faced difficulties accessing management documents, limiting its ability to carry out audit missions. Certain documents were not communicated to the auditor, preventing the completion of internal audit missions. The President of OCLEI did not take necessary measures to address this issue.
Furthermore, the audit revealed weaknesses in OCLEI's contribution to the repression of illicit enrichment. Tests conducted on March 10 and 16, 2026, showed that the green number 80 00 22 22 was not functional, and it was only restored on April 24, 2026. In 2024, OCLEI reported a 200% achievement rate in its Annual Performance Report, but the actual rate of exploitation of asset declarations was 100%, due to a target of 50% instead of 100%.
The Auditor General also identified issues with cooperation and communication. Out of six agreements examined, only one had begun execution, representing 17%. The audit report recommends developing an action plan for each agreement. Additionally, OCLEI's annual plans are not based on a global strategy, and important activities were not published on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Finally, the audit found that OCLEI produced study reports that resembled audit reports, which is outside its mandate. The Auditor General recommends that OCLEI exercise its attributions exclusively, in accordance with its founding texts. The report provides recommendations to address these weaknesses and improve OCLEI's management and effectiveness.
Key points
- The Auditor General's report highlights the need for OCLEI to improve its strategic leadership and operational activities to achieve its objectives.
- The report recommends that OCLEI respects the composition of its poles, develops and adopts annual programs, and ensures coherence between minutes and deliberations.
- The audit also identifies issues with cooperation, communication, and the exercise of OCLEI's attributions, which need to be addressed to improve its effectiveness.
