A 61-year-old man is to face two charges linked to a fraud investigation into the expense accounts of a former employee with the Pembina Hills school division.
The man, who lives in Newfoundland, will be charged with fraud amounting to over $5,000 and breach of trust. No date for a court appearance has been set. The recommendation that charges be laid came from Crown Counsel in Fort Saskatchewan, said Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds yesterday.
He added that the fraud complaint was originally filed in October 2010 and prompted a lengthy investigation by the Commercial Crime section in Edmonton.
The investigation started on Nov. 5, 2010, shortly after former PHRD Supt. Richard Harvey left his post without any explanation. The story of a problem at the division’s head office came to light in October 2010 when the Westlock News learned former Harvey had left his post with the division Oct. 25, two months earlier than his scheduled retirement date.
Then-deputy Supt. Colleen Symyrozum-Watt would not comment on the fraud investigation except to say that about 750 Pembina Hills employees have expense accounts. Last month, Sgt. Dodds said RCMP received a case file from Edmonton Commercial Crime Unit (K division) on Aug. 21. Eight days later RCMP presented a report summarizing the case to Fort Saskatchewan Crown counsel, requesting an opinion on whether or not charges are appropriate.
Dodds said the case might be beyond the resources of the Fort Saskatchewan office, since it was likely to be a very complicated and time-consuming prosecution. In that case the file would be sent to another office, such as the Edmonton Rural &Regional Response Office.
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