City Controller: Sheriff Is Stonewalling Financial Review
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- City auditors claim that they have run into a brick wall with the sheriff's department, which refuses to hand over routine financial data and documents.
Philadelphia controller Alan Butkovitz says the sheriff's action "raises concerns over the potential risk for fraud and misuse."
Butkovitz (above) notes that "at no time in recent history has a city agency so blatantly refused to cooperate and provide financial materials" on how it operates:
"These are real indicators that alarm auditors."
Butkovitz says his office wants to make sure that adequate internal controls are in place:
"It's other people's money. It's not their money. It's $53 million."
Butkovitz says he is now moving aggressrively to do a full-scale forensic audit of more than ten custodial accounts in Sheriff John Green's office:
"And what is more frightening for auditors is when there are intentional efforts to withhold responses to information."
(Tawa:) "Is this something that should be prosecuted?"
(Butkovitz:) "That's not what this office does."
Butkovitz says he'll use the courts if necessary to force the sheriff's office to cooperate.
On Tuesday afternoon chief deputy sheriff Barbara Deeley (above) said they were only given two days' notice to respond to the controller's allegations:
"The sheriff's office worked hard to satisfy the many demands of the auditors while performing their daily responsiblities with limited staff and overtime restrictions."
Deeley, who will become sheriff next week, contends that Butkovitz is firing a "parting shot" at Sheriff Green, who is retiring at the end of the week after 24 years.
Reported by Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio.
Photos by Steve Tawa
