'Really distressing'
Audit results prompt education minister to call in the cops
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 14th November 2008, 3:36am
It took a $250,000 audit of Toronto Catholic trustees and a few unanswered questions to convince Education Minister Kathleen Wynne to call Toronto Police.
She vowed to share the audit with police to answer some "unanswered" questions around some expenses.
'UNRESOLVED ISSUES'
"I am concerned that there are a number of double-billings, ineligible expenses and a number of unresolved issues that we don't have answers for and that's why ministry staff has contacted Toronto Police Services," Wynne said.
The audit comes 11 months after the Toronto Sun began reporting trustee expenses were used for everything from Caribbean vacations, booze and late-night meals.
"It's really distressing, the whole issue is distressing, that people didn't see that there was abuse of the public purse going on," Wynne said. "The fact that we have to have this report is really disheartening, having said that it's also instructive."
The Toronto Catholic District School Board experience has helped tighten expense rules across the province, she said.
"It's a cautionary tale and I think boards across the province are paying very close attention," Wynne said.
Even if cops don't determine they need to investigate, the minister vowed to claw back all the ineligible expenses by docking trustees' pay.
Trustees have already paid back $10,024 in expenses but $19,434 remains outstanding.
One unanswered question is Trustee Sal Piccininni's expensing of $13,804 in "potentially ineligible" expenses. Sources confirmed Piccininni was the audit's unnamed Trustee C.
ANOMALIES
Over $13,000 of that total came from three purchases to one company for shirts, hats, bags and sporting equipment for soccer and basketball tournaments.
Piccininni provided auditors with proof the events took place and items were given out. He did not respond to interview requests yesterday.
Auditors found no record was made at the time to show the full quantity of the invoice was received, the supplier's website doesn't offer sports equipment or clothing and the supplier operates at the same address as the trustee's constituency assistant.
"It is unlikely that the documentation deficiency can be remediated," the audit stated.
Auditors added the invoice was filled with anomalies including the supplier's name was misspelled, the GST number was the supplier's parent company and the GST was incorrectly calculated.
Toronto Police confirmed they are investigating.
"The audit has been shared with the Toronto Police Service for its assessment," Const. Tony Vella said yesterday.
He said the audit was received yesterday afternoon and would be turned over to the fraud squad.
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PROVINCIAL AUDIT TAKES HARD LOOK AT LEGITIMACY OF TRUSTEE EXPENSES
Toronto Catholic trustees and the expense totals auditors deemed ineligible and potentially ineligible:
Mary Cicogna (Trustee A)
$1,291 ineligible expenses
$2,940 potentially ineligible
Joseph Martino (Trustee B)
$1,783 ineligible expenses
$2,113 potentially ineligible
Sal Piccininni (Trustee C)
$1,170 ineligible expenses
$13,804 potentially ineligible
Angela Kennedy (Trustee D)
$753 ineligible expenses
$37 potentially ineligible
Paul Crawford (Trustee E)
$2,146 ineligible expenses
$2,940 potentially ineligible
Maria Rizzo (Trustee F)
$796 ineligible expenses
$540 potentially ineligible
Barbara Poplawski (Trustee G)
$1,012 ineligible expenses
Catherine LeBlanc-Miller (Trustee H)
$775 ineligible expenses
Oliver Carroll (Trustee I)
$365 ineligible expenses
Ann Andrachuk (Trustee J)
$136 ineligible expenses
John Del Grande (Trustee K)
$110 ineligible expenses
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