Police probe suggested for transit kiosk scandal

Sudbury city council is looking at calling in the Ontario Provincial Police to investigate staff at city hall and what they might have known about over half a million dollars missing from municipal coffers.

The suggestion was made Wednesday night as councillors reviewed an audit report detailing revenue that was not collected from a numbered company that ran a kiosk in the city's downtown bus station.

The company contracted to sell bus tickets in late 2007 did not give the city its share of the sales — some $866,000. After closing the kiosk in 2009, the city successsfully sued the company, recovering about $287,000.

The audit report found that several city employees were aware that the ticket vendor had fallen into arrears with the city.

City Counc. Claude Berthiaume told the audit committee meeting he wants to ask the Ontario Provincial Police to investigate.

'We need to regain the trust of the taxpayers. We need to clear the air.' —Counc. Claude Berthuiame

"This has been an issue that is affecting the trust of our taxpayers. This is huge, this is big," he said.

Berthiaume said  police should look at the private company and city staff. He said that's the only way to address rumours circulating around Sudbury about corruption at city hall.

"We need to regain the trust of the taxpayers. We need to clear the air," he said.

Mayor Marianne Matichuk agreed the city has lost the trust of its citizens, but council voted to consult its lawyers before deciding how to further investigate the missing transit money.

Council is also taking steps to recover more of the money owed. Those plans are secret, agreed upon by councillors in private meetings with city lawyers.