KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 22): The National Audit Department has recouped about RM2 billion which were found to have leaked out from government departments and agencies, following an auditing process, according to a Bernama report today.

Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang was quoted as saying that the money was recovered from the audit carried out beginning four years ago on government departments and agencies which previously had weaknesses in managing funds.

"We made the audit based on samples, we cannot audit 10,000 schools, so we make a limited sample, and based on this sample, we were able to identify (the weaknesses).

Ambrin said these audits were carried out each year, and reviewed to see how much had been collected. If the audit is not conducted, nobody will know (how much has been lost)," he told reporters after delivering a talk in a programme on integrity in Kuantan today.

Bernama reported that Ambrin had said the money was recovered after the government departments and agencies corrected their weaknesses including the process of payment for projects, supplies and services.