A preliminary audit of activities at Rhode Island’s $70 million trash agency has found possible "irregularities and appearances of impropriety," as well as potential criminal activity warranting further investigation.
The 33-page report, released today by Governor Carcieri, points to ``many apparent relationships and possible conflicts of interest regarding current and former commissioners and employees’’ of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp.
Carcieri plans a 1 p.m. press conference.
The auditors, who spent 45 days digging into a host of concerns raised by new executive director Michael O’Connell, recommend a full-scale forensic audit to explore, among other things, unspecified allegations of ``employee theft’’ and ``other activities that might be criminal in nature.’’ The report also raises concerns about payments for services not rendered or services of questionable value, potential state ethics violations and violations of procurement procedures.
Much of the report is devoted to questions about the corporation’s development of a controversial industrial park near Rhode Island’s Central Landfill in Johnston. As a result of slipshod practices, the corporation stands to lose millions of dollars on the project, while taking land off the Johnston tax rolls.
And it singles out former Johnston Mayor William A. Macera, who supported creation of the controversial industrial park while ``members of his own family would benefit through land sales.’’