Auditor says no fraud, but lashes at school system for lax internal controls

MARIETTA - A 6-year analysis of competitive bids for musical instruments in Cobb County found no evidence of fraud but did show lax internal controls, according to an audit released Friday. <br> <br> The school district was accused of displaying favoritism in choosing a supplier for nearly $5 million in musical instrument purchases. <br> <br> Instead, the report, prepared by accountant Laurie Dyke, criticized Cobb&#39;s ``catalog-style&#39;&#39; bidding process, which required suppliers of musical instruments to bid based on an entire catalog, rather than on individual items. <br> <br> According to Dyke, the process for bidding on musical instruments is unnecessarily complex and inconsistent with other purchasing rules, making it difficult for the district to compare actual prices to determine the lowest bidder. <br> <br> Based on the findings, Cobb will revert to a more traditional bidding process, Superintendent Joe Redden told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. <br> <br> The public school system spent $10,000 for the audit.