Police lay fraud charges in kickback scheme involving city housing worker
Ottawa police have charged two people in connection with a kickback scheme involving a City of Ottawa housing program.
Police revealed on Tuesday that they have charged a former City of Ottawa case worker with breach of trust, fraud over $5,000 and receiving a bribe while working as a municipal employee.
They have also charged a landlord with bribing a municipal employee, as well as breach of trust and fraud over $5,000.
Police are not releasing the names of the former case worker or the landlord. They said both accused were released on an undertaking and will appear in court at a later date. None of the charges have been proven in court.
Police said the charges followed an extensive investigation by the organized fraud section triggered by a report from the City of Ottawa's auditor general.
Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon revealed in December that the scheme allegedly resulted in the city paying inflated rents — up to 63 per cent above market rates — to the landlord through a housing allowance program.
In exchange for directing clients to the landlord, the former case worker allegedly got about $22,000 in payments, according to the auditor general's report. The payments allegedly took place from November 2023 to October 2024.
The city accepted Gougeon's recommendations in relation to the case and confirmed that the case worker in question is no longer employed with the city.
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