Transit ticket investigation already underway, Sudbury police say

Sudbury police are already investigating what happened to hundreds of thousands of dollars that never made it into Sudbury city bank accounts.

This was revealed during a Greater Sudbury city council meeting Oct. 12, as city councillors debated calling for a second police investigation into bus ticket proceeds that a private contractor never turned over to the city.

Back in early summer, council requested a criminal investigation into the missing $866,000 from bus ticket sales.

Those calling for another investigation were confused as to whether that probe, which started in August, focused exclusively on the contractor or if it also included city employees.

Sudbury police chief Frank Elsner said investigators are looking at everyone involved.

"What we try to find out now is was this fraud or was this mismanagement," he said to council.

Elsner said Sudbury police are working with OPP fraud investigators on this case, and a forensic accountant has almost completed a report detailing the paper trail.

Police will use that report to determine if criminal charges will be laid.

"When we take a complaint, not just from council, but from anyone, we're not directed by that individual of how we're to do that investigation," Elsner noted.

"Once we're into the investigation, it goes where it goes and you can't stop it."