Internal fraud investigations at Hackney Council have led to the dismissal of seven of its staff.

Internal fraud investigations at Hackney Council have led to the dismissal of seven of its staff.

Two were dismissed following investigations into activities at Hackney Homes; the council’s housing management organisation. Two were sacked over the misuse of a parking permit, two others had contracts terminated for mishandling housing tenancies or applications and another was dismissed for carrying out private work when they should have been working for the council.

Between April last year and March this year, 11 workers resigned or left whilst under investigation for wrongdoing.

Having worked for years on many cases of workplace fraud, we know that the potential for it in large organisations is always present. We are often called in to conduct internal investigations for clients in order to reduce the potential for fraud or identify where it has been committed.

Councils offer precisely the right ingredients for fraud: large workforce, separation of responsibilities and many resources.