City Auditor Reports Serious Matter to Audit, Finance and Administration Committee

HAMILTON, ON - Today, City Auditor Charles Brown reported a Serious Matter to the Audit, Finance and Administration Committee.

The Criteria for the City Auditor reporting a Serious Matter to Council are:

• Pose a security threat (e.g. cybersecurity exposure) to the organization’s information systems/hardware/software applications or involves major privacy breach.
• Threaten public safety.
• Involve potential fraud over $100,000.
• Could have a significant adverse impact on the City’s vulnerable populations.
• Result in investigation by OCA and referral to the Police.
• In the judgement of the City Auditor are deemed to be of a significant risk to the Corporation.

Information regarding this Report (#26158) was previously reported to Committee and Council as part of the Office of the City Auditor’s Annual Fraud and Waste Report (AUD20007, Appendix “A” Page 17 of 24) and concerns long term disability payments of $55,000 paid to an employee who at the same time was receiving salary. The employee accepted these payments without saying anything to the City. This matter has since been reported by the City Auditor to the Hamilton Police Service.

Additional Resources

• Fraud and Waste Hotline Report
• Hamilton.ca/Fraud