It has been revealed in an audit that a management assistant who worked in the revenue department of the Kandy Municipal Council (KMC) has defrauded the Municipal Council of over Rs. 13.5 million which was charged as fees in transferring the lease rights of 18 shops in four shopping malls owned by the Kandy MC.
It is learnt that she has not credited the fees when transferring the lease rights of 18 shops to the Municipal Fund.
The same officer is also under investigation for allegedly embezzling Rs.8.2 million by altering receipt numbers related to charging rent from 31 shops located in four shopping complexes belonging to the Kandy Municipal Council. Following an investigation she has been interdicted for the said offence. By the time the auditors discovered the related frauds, this employee had received a transfer and had gone to work in the Provincial Revenue Department.
According to the currently disclosed information, the total amount that this employee has defrauded in the last four years is over Rs. 21.8 million. It has been revealed that this money has been deposited by the employee in her three personal accounts.
Several phone conversations with this employee have been recorded by the shopkeepers who allegedly gave her money for the assignment of shops and handed over to the investigation department.
The National Audit Office has informed the Municipal Commissioner that severe weaknesses in the internal control of the revenue department of the Kandy Municipal Council are being observed in the investigation of how these frauds have occurred and they have requested to notify within 14 days about the action taken in this regard.
In an inquiry in this regard, Kandy Municipal Commissioner Ishan Wijayathilaka said that an investigation has been started based on the audit report.
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