Ex-employee to return missing military centre funds
A deal has been reached between the Greenwood Military Family Resource Centre and its former business manager, who will pay back more than $400,000 that was discovered missing last year.
The resource centre is a non-profit charitable society that serves military families at 14 Wing Greenwood.
The missing funds were discovered last spring, says Megan Venner, chair of the resource centre.
"In March of last year, it came to our attention that a significant amount of money was missing from the centre's funds, and it had been redirected into a third-party bank account," Venner said.
The resource centre fired its business manager Karen Lorraine Byers and began legal action to recover the money, which is described as a significant amount of the money that went missing.
Byers spent 13 years as business manager for the Greenwood Military Family Resource Centre, Venner said.
The total amount of the missing funds was not disclosed.
The execution order was issued late last month.
The resource centre has a deal to recover $403,340.95 from Byers over four years.
The case has been referred to the Canadian Forces National Investigative Service.
"We are currently investigating the allegations. It is still ongoing," said Capt. John Pulchny, spokesman for the base.
According to online property records, she and her husband Gary own properties worth more than $900,000.
"On the personal side, certainly our staff has been affected. There is a sense of betrayal," Venner said.
The resource centre says there was no disruption in service because of the incident.
"We have not seen an impact of it at all. If anything, the programs have increased," CWO Bob Viel said.
The resource centre has tightened procedures.
"We did have our policies, we did look them right away as soon as this happened, we've also had them reviewed externally and we have made changes to policy and procedures to ensure money is safeguarded," Venner said.
No criminal charges have been laid.
Calls to Byers by CBC News were not returned.
