Education and Early Childhood Development
Finance
April 12, 2016
Ensuring Transparency and Accountability
Provincial Government Requests Auditor General to Conduct Audit
The Provincial Government, pursuant to section 16 of the Auditor General Act, has requested the Auditor General to investigate allegations of fraud within the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District.
“Our government is requesting the Auditor General conduct an audit of the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District. We have been made aware of allegations of fraud and based on our own internal review conducted by the Office of the Comptroller General, felt it was necessary to engage the Auditor General. We know that the general public fully expects that transparency and accountability be at the forefront of our decision making. By initiating this audit we can ensure that this objective is met.”
- The Honourable Dale Kirby, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development
An anonymous tip was received by the Provincial Government about possible fraudulent activity taking place within the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District. The Office of the Comptroller General was engaged to look into the concerns being raised. After a preliminary investigation it was determined that the next best course of action would be to engage the Auditor General to inquire into and report on the allegations of fraud, including a review of the financial activities of the district, transactions for specific vendors and internal controls.
“Our internal review uncovered concerning information about the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District. We are acting immediately to engage the Auditor General to ensure the allegations collected by our review are investigated thoroughly and addressed in a timely and an appropriate manner. Our priority is to make certain public money is being treated responsibly and that proper oversight is in place. We will be providing our full cooperation to the Auditor General during this process and school board officials have indicated that they will do the same.”
- The Honourable Cathy Bennett, Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board
A further update on the investigation and process will be provided upon completion of the Auditor General’s report and findings.
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Media contacts:
|
Blair Medd Director of Communications Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 709-729-0048, 631-8465 blairmedd@gov.nl.ca |
Jennifer Tulk Director of Communications Department of Finance and Human Resource Secretariat 709-729-6830, 728-4104 jennifertulk@gov.nl.ca |
2016 04 12 2:40 p.m.