By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

The United States Embassy in Palau has told the Compact Review Commission to ask assistance regarding numerous request for a possible Government Accountability Office audit on Palau’s management of its Compact of Free Association assistance known as COFA funds.
This is based on a letter dated Feb. 8 sent by Charge d’ Affaires Mark Bezner to CRC chairman of the Board of Directors, which was provided to Horizon by Speaker Ausgutine Mesebeluu yesterday.
Bezner noted in his letter that in November last year, when the Commission hosted the DAS Davies and him at a lunch in Melekeok, Nakamura brought up the matter of a possible GAO audit on Palau’s management of its COFA assistance.
Bezner said that this is a topic that has been mentioned to him by a number of members of the Palauan government on a number of occasions.
Bezner told Nakamura that he recently discussed this matter with DAS Davies and EAP/ANP Director McGann.
"We concluded that since the GAO is an instrument of the legislative branch of the US government, there is no mechanism for us, as members of the executive branch, to make this request," Bezner wrote to Nakamura.
Bezner instead suggested that the government of Palau, "perhaps through its own legislative branch, contact its friends and supporters in the US Congress dirctly and ask their assistance with this request.