Irregular payments totalling £379,124 have been uncovered by the Office of Public Works and are now the subject of a criminal investigation, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General's report.
The latest report refers to the discovery of irregularities in 1995 involving the unauthorised increase in rents payable by the OPW on certain properties and payments to spurious payees. The total amount was then put at £176,805.
After the Garda had drawn the OPW's attention to further irregular transactions to the value of £16,401, an internal investigation found that the payments were purportedly made to settle claims by landlords for maintenance work. However, no evidence was found to support these claims.
The OPW then initiated an examination of all available records covering payments for claims for additional maintenance works on rented buildings. This revealed irregular payments totalling £185,918 covering dilapidations, rents and service charges.
"The gardai were notified of these payments and they now form part of the criminal investigation," the report says. However, the OPW is satisfied that the payments were part of the original suspected fraud and say the likelihood is that the amount will be recovered in full.
