City worker admitted moving funds into personal account.
A city employee of Gelsenkirchen has been suspected of embezzling a significant sum of around 300,000 euros over a lengthy period, according to the public prosecutor's office spokesperson. Allegedly, the funds were diverted from maintenance advance payments meant for single parents in the city. The "WAZ" had previously highlighted this issue.
In her role, this crafty employee oversaw the distribution of these maintenance payments. The money aimed to secure the financial well-being of children whose parents fail to provide financial support. Shockingly, she fabricated applications and directed these payments into her personal accounts for years, according to an investigation.
This fraudulent scheme, while complex, went unnoticed for a considerable time due to its intricate nature. The embezzler only targeted real cases of single parents supported by the city, approved tiny amounts of a few hundred euros, and pinned the questionable transactions on her own accounts. The families involved were oblivious to the entire scandal, with no monetary loss suffered.
Colleagues reviewing her work didn't notice anything amiss, as the transactions appeared regular and legitimate. Consequently, this sneaky method remained undetected, leading to a substantial damage total of approximately 300,000 euros. The ongoing investigation came to light when the employee fell ill, and colleagues took over her caseload.
In response, the city administration has terminated her employment. They're also conducting an internal review to establish ways to expedite the identification of future fraudulent activities.
While it's unclear how widespread this issue is among public employees in Germany, it's worth noting that country-specific laws such as the German Fiscal Code (Bundeshaushaltsordnung) and the German Public Procurement Law (Vergaberecht) govern the use of public funds. Any instances of misappropriation could lead to legal repercussions and oversight from bodies like the Federal Court of Auditors (Bundesrechnungshof). To find details about similar cases, one may need to consult official reports or legal documents from German authorities.
The city employee, in charge of distributing maintenance payments under the general-news and finance categories, orchestrated a long-term embezzlement scheme, diverting funds intended for single parents' financial security. Despite her crafty ways, the fraud went unnoticed, incurring a significant damage of around 300,000 euros, as per crime-and-justice reports.
