kamloopsthisweek.com | kamloopsthisweek |
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2021 | Volume 34 No. 50
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TNRD AUDIT TO BE PRESENTED THURSDAY The BDO forensic audit of spending at the ThompsonNicola Regional District, along with a separate criminal investigation by the RCMP’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime Financial IntegritySensitive Investigations Unit, were both spurred by a KTW investigation into expenses at the TNRD. To read the series of stories, go online to kamloopsthisweek.com and search “Spending at the TNRD.” Included in the Webster Awardwinning series of articles is a five-year database of expenses readers can peruse.
JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
On Thursday, three representatives from BDO Canada are set to appear before the ThompsonNicola Regional District board of directors to present highlighted findings from a forensic audit into spending at the regional district. TNRD CAO Scott Hildebrand said a lengthy and detailed report will be available to the public on Thursday or Friday. The board received the audit report earlier and discussed it during a closed-door meeting this past Monday. Hildebrand said some items in the report from BDO Canada to the board will be “anonymized” in the public report, due to privacy legislation. He said he is confident the context will not change. “The only thing different would be names or third-party businesses or third-party things that we have to protect under FOIPPA,” Hildebrand said, referring to the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Hildebrand said he could not discuss in advance audit findings. The forensic audit was launched by the regional district following stories by Kamloops This Week about spending practices
at the regional district. BDO Canada was hired at a yet-to-be-disclosed final cost and began its audit on May 5. A KTW investigation found spending at the regional district was high under its former CAO, Sukh Gill, who departed
the regional district suddenly in February 2020 with a taxpayerfunded settlement valued at more than $500,000 and a clause that legally required his departure to be labelled a “retirement.” The reason for his departure has not been explained publicly.
At the time of KTW’s stories, the TNRD maintained spending was within policy, though board chair Ken Gillis did call some of the expenses “somewhat distressing” and “excessive.” Spending includes visits to high-end steakhouses, the book-
ing of an $8,000 champagne room at a high-end hotel in Whistler and buying gifts for staffers, In addition to the audit, the KTW investigation has led to a separate concurrent investigation by the RCMP’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime Financial Integrity-Sensitive Investigations Unit after the TNRD handed over information believed to be related to financial irregularities. Meanwhile, the BDO audit was delayed multiple times and the scope was expanded. It was originally estimated to cost between $50,000 to $75,000, but the TNRD said the final figure will be higher. KTW has heard from multiple sources the police investigation is not expected to conclude until the new year and the investigation may in fact be informed by audit findings. Hildebrand would not comment on whether anything criminal has been discovered via the audit process. Meanwhile, KTW has learned the audit findings may include information linked to the IndoCanLinks Golf Tournament and materials used for TNRD renovations that were also allegedly used in non-TNRD related buildings. See MANY CHANGES A7
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