No SFO charges in Far North District Council investigation
"These are failures of governance and procedure and no evidence of the intention required to commit a criminal offence was found.”
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has completed an investigation into Far North District Council decisions.
Following an internal enquiry at the council, the then newly elected mayor, John Carter, asked the SFO to investigate activities of concern between 2009 and 2013. The SFO launched an investigation in May 2014.
According to a statement from the SFO, director Julie Read decided there is insufficient evidence to commence a criminal prosecution for serious or complex fraud against any person.
“The investigation found evidence that both council members and employees apparently failed to comply with internal systems and controls designed to ensure that proper processes were followed in the approval of council projects and the expenditure of public money.
"However, these are failures of governance and procedure and no evidence of the intention required to commit a criminal offence was found," Ms Read says in a statement.
Jamie Ball
Wed, 01 Jul 2015
Wed, 01 Jul 2015
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No SFO charges in Far North District Council investigation
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