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A local authority that discovered an alleged
fraud in its bin tags and parking discs distribution system,
which could top €1 million, has launched a civil action against
a named individual.
The case, taken by Cork City Council, is expected
before the High Court towards the end of this month.
The council decided to take the civil action
while Garda fraud officers continue their investigations into
the matter. Details of the alleged fraud emerged in early
2009, after an internal council audit which was conducted
throughout 2008 unearthed "issues of concern" about the operation
of the city’s bin tags and parking discs distribution system.
The council then engaged external consultants
to investigate the apparent discrepancies in the receipt and
recording of transactions with an outside contractor over
a number of years in respect of the council’s distribution
of bin tags and parking discs.
City manager Joe Gavin informed councillors
in February 2009 that he had referred the matter to Gardaí
for investigation. It is understood the Garda investigation
is focusing on whether or not the amount of money generated
by the sale of tags and parking discs corresponds to the amount
of tags and discs that were actually sold.
It is understood the amount involved could range
from €800,000 to €1m and the issues could date back at least
four years.
Fraud squad detectives spent the early part
of last year conducting preliminary investigations before
embarking on a full investigation. A Garda spokesman has confirmed
that the investigation is ongoing and will take several months.
He said it is a very detailed and complex investigation -
one of the biggest of its kind.
Detectives are trawling through a massive amount
of documentation relating to the bin tags and parking disc
distribution and collection systems and procedures dating
back several years.
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