Lethbridge police investigation of ARCHES finds records for ‘unaccounted funds’

Local police, government officials, auditors, the ARCHES board of directors and the specialized prosecutions branch were involved in the investigation. 

“Through a lengthy and comprehensive investigation, in which special prosecutions was provided with regular updates on its progress, Lethbridge Police were able to uncover records which accounted for the funding in question,” said the Lethbridge Police Service in a statement. 

Kassandra Kitz, press secretary to Jason Luan, associate minister of mental health and addictions, said the government will not reconsider its decision to defund the Lethbridge site.

“This government expects organizations that provide services with taxpayer’s money to meet high standards of accountability and transparency. Taxpayers expect a higher standard than the absence of criminal charges for how their money is spent,” said Kitz in a statement.

“The Deloitte audit found poor organizational management and several instances of non-compliance with the grant agreement, including high executive salaries, significant abuse of taxpayer dollars, European conferences, and staff entertainment.”

She said the province has not received documentation on where the $1.5 million was spent.

— With files from Tyler Dawson

More to come…

alsmith@postmedia.com

Twitter: @alanna_smithh