Pentagon auditors request probe after criticism

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The agency that audits Pentagon contracts said on Friday it had asked for an investigation into allegations that its supervisors pressured employees to alter audits in favor of contractors.

Supervisors at the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) used intimidation, harassment and threats to pressure auditors to make the changes in their audits, according to a report by the Government Accountability office issued on Wednesday.

The DCAA said it took the report very seriously and had asked the Pentagon's inspector general to investigate.

"It is crucial that we have a clear understanding of any problems associated with our audit effort," DCAA director April Stephenson said in a statement.

The audit agency said it also started a drive to reinforce professional standards and assembled a team to conduct its own internal assessment of the issues raised in the report.

"It is imperative that our agency is not only held to the highest professional standards, but also appears to be beyond reproach," Stephenson said.

"The DCAA is committed to supporting any review of our procedures and is prepared to take immediate action to fix any problems found."

Lawmakers strongly criticized the audit agency following the GAO report, which did not name the companies involved in the audits in question.

(Reporting by Andrew Gray, editing by Philip Barbara)