The Government have confirmed this morning that the Department of Foreign Affairs has withheld millions of euro in funding from the aid agency GOAL following a US government inquiry into alleged fraud.
It is understood the US government have begun an investigation into the aid agency after it found a number of discrepancies relating to humanitarian contracts for Syria.
The new investigation has led to GOAL and a number of other agencies operating in Syria being forced to stop their operations after the US government’s foreign aid arm, USAid, found a number of documents showing alleged bribery and bid-rigging.
The enforced suspension affects about €6.2 million of the €113 million GOAL receives from USAid.
Meanwhile the Department of Foreign Affairs responded by withholding €2.95 million in humanitarian funding earmarked for GOAL, until the US government suspends it’s investigation.