Council for the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie has released a statement regarding the dismissal of former CAO Rachel Fournier.

Council says through matters arising from Fournier’s handling of municipal finances the municipal insurers they have been able to recover $106,000. Council adds the insurance company is taking steps to recover all the funds, including the full amount owed to the municipality.

RCMP media spokesperson  Tara Seel says a complaint was made to the Steinbach RCMP detachment on December 11, 2015. Seel notes after an in-depth investigation, and in consultation with RCMP commerical crime experts, it was determined a forensic audit would be required to further the investigation. At this time, the RM of La Broquerie has requested the RCMP investigation in Fournier be closed. Seel adds no charges were laid.

Council says it could pursue the forensic analysis report which costs between $30,000 and $50,000 which would allow the municipality to continue with other proceedings, but they have determined, at this time, to leave the matter with the insurance company.

Reeve Lewis Weiss has been asked to give more details into the matter, but council has unanimously chosen to not answer any further questions at this time.

Steinbachonline presented council with the following questions that remain unanswered:
- How was Fournier able to accomplish this without anyone else becoming aware?
- When did the money start disappearing? For how long was this going on?
- If the Municipality has recovered $106,000, what is the total amount lost?
- How is the Municipality going to prevent something like this happening in the future?
- At what point did the Municipality discover there was something happening?
- Why have they decided to close the RCMP investigation?

Fournier was hired in 2009 as an office clerk and moved into the CAO position in May 2015 before being dismissed on December 7, 2015.

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