The cops have been called in by Public Works Minister Filomena Tassi over contracting irregularities, records show..Blacklock's Reporter says staff in Tassi’s department discovered an unidentified consultant falsified time sheets and billed identical hours to several federal agencies at the same time..“The individual overbilled the Government of Canada by submitting time sheets showing double, triple, quadruple and quintuple billing on certain days under these separate contracts,” said a May 13 department brief note..The scope of the suspected fraud was not disclosed. .“The case has been referred to the RCMP,” wrote staff..“We will continue to cooperate with authorities on the matter.”.“When the department becomes aware of an allegation of fraud it immediately launches an investigation and takes the necessary action to mitigate risks associated with those responsible. In fraud cases involving overbilling by contractors the department works with the impacted government departments and contacts the companies involved to recover the funds.”.Staff would not say how much, if any, of the undisclosed stolen funds were recovered. The contractor’s security status was suspended, said the note..The department disclosed the suspected fraud occurred over an 18-month period before it was uncovered..“The department conducted an investigation which revealed from Jan. 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 a subcontracted private sector consultant worked for multiple Government of Canada departments and agencies through eight different contracted private sector companies,” wrote staff..“The consultant submitted falsified time sheets which resulted in the Government of Canada being overbilled.”.“The government is committed to its obligations to the Canadian taxpayer. It takes matters of fraud seriously.”
