Five-hundred and fifty-thousand dollars - that's how much was fleeced from the Treasury Department - and it all happened in a handful of transactions within just a few months. Today, the Financial Secretary, Joe Waight told the media that one person has been suspended:..
Joseph Waight, GOB's Financial Secretary
"Right now they are investigating. We have closed a loophole which we have put more reconciliation, more auditing and more oversight in that department. We have moved some officers offline so to speak but again I have to say they are innocent until proven guilty. I am not making a charge because we don't know really what the investigation is."
Reporter
"Is there a finite sum as to the amount that was embezzled?"
Joseph Waight, GOB's Financial Secretary
"No, the figure so far is about $500,000, which is a lot of money."
Reporter
"And the time frame sir? When it started until when?"
Joseph Waight, GOB's Financial Secretary
"We think it's within the last 6 months. The reconciliations, when we dealt with it, a flag popped. And then what they did was went back further and further and found I think its 3 or 4 payments which aggregated to the $500,000."
Daniel Ortiz
"Can you explain to us exactly how this happened, to the layman, what happened, so that $550,000 went missing from the treasury?"
Joseph Waight, GOB's Financial Secretary
"There were two large payments, as I understand and what happened really was that some ingenious person discovered that substituted, manipulated bank account numbers. To take out a bank account number and put in a wrong one. And the payment went through."
Reporter
"Sir, has anyone been put on leave or administrative leave as a result?"
Joseph Waight, GOB's Financial Secretary
"Yes, we sent one gentleman on leave. But I have to say, innocent until proven guilty."
Daniel Ortiz
"The person that the money was directed to, has that person spent the money and have they given you a reason why they would spend so much money and pretend like..."
Joseph Waight, GOB's Financial Secretary
"They are also in investigation and I believe the FIU has frozen some accounts there as well. But that's conspiracy you know."
Reporter
"How much?"
Joseph Waight, GOB's Financial Secretary
"I don't know."
Waight says police are still investigating and he doesn't know when that will finish.
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