Mr. Michael Gaffey:

-----because the money was leading towards work on infrastructure. There was delivery on the ground. In the coming months, as the books are examined, it should become clear that there was less money coming through. The tap was not turned off at that stage, but it would have been gradually turned off. We have to understand the nature of the fraud before we can come to definitive conclusions, because we have to understand how it was that money was diverted and yet it was still being delivered. Time lag is one explanation. It is not good enough. We have to see the results of our investigation. In addition, the auditor general is carrying out a series of other investigations across government in the coming months and we will have to examine those reports closely. I would not foresee ministers deciding to end the suspension of funding through government systems before we have fully understood these. As officials who are held accountable, we cannot accept that we do not fully know the story yet.