Forensic audit finds former B.C. Housing CEO directed funds to spouse's non-profit
Report cites millions given to Atira Women's Resource Society without proper documentation or oversight
Karin Larsen · CBC News · Posted: May 08, 2023 1:55 PM PDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago
A forensic audit into B.C. Housing found mismanagement related to a conflict of interest between its former CEO and his spouse, who is the CEO of B.C. Housing's largest housing operator.
Conflict of interest rules at the Crown corporation, which develops, manages and administers subsidized housing, were put in place specifically to remove CEO Shayne Ramsay from involvement in discussions or decisions about the Atira Women's Resource Society, which is run by Janice Abbott, after the two married in 2010.
Speaking in the legislature, B.C. Premier David Eby said a special team of investigators "found a structured and systematic breaching of the conflict of interest rules" at the most senior level of B.C. Housing, including altered meeting minutes, missing financial documents and millions of dollars spent without necessary approvals.
"Perhaps most troubling, they found the majority of text messages of the CFO and CEO had been deleted, which effectively obstructed the investigation," he said.