Auditor's office asked to explain $1000 fraud

The Auditor General was asked today to explain why her office sanctioned a $1000 fraudulent transaction in accounts presented by the Insolvency Service on behalf of a bankrupt estate.

Significant discrepancies were noted in a maintenance account. but were deemed by the Official Assignee as insignificant because the amount concerned was "minor in relation to the overall value of the estate". The  accounts also confirmed that taxes had been unpaid over the four years the estate was under administration, consequently penalties of $27,446  accrued and were charged to the estate.

As former Deputy Commissioner for Police, Auditor General Lyn Provost is uniquely qualified to consider the public interest factors in treating this kind of fraud more seriously, especially when it involves a significant fraud by someone holding an enduring power of attorney on behalf of an elderly stroke victim.