The FBI has failed to set up a computer program designed to help agents share information instantly, and though the bureau may have to scrap the $170 million project it has no realistic timetable for a workable system, a Justice Department audit showed on Thursday. In a harsh criticism of the FBI's efforts to fix a key shortfall identified after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Inspector General Glenn Fine said the bureau still relies on its antiquated case-filing system which hampers agents' ability to properly do their jobs. "After more than 3 years, multiple missed deadlines, and a price tag of $170 million, the FBI still does not have an investigative case management system to replace the antiquated ... system," Fine said in a statement to the Senate Appropriations Committee submitted along with his report. "Further, we are not confident that the FBI has a firm sense of how much longer and how much more it will cost to develop and deploy a usable system," he said. Parts of the audit were reported last month and the FBI acknowledged then that it might not be able to salvage its computer program. --More 2353 Local Time 2053 GMT
