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NIB $3M scam unearthed

An internal audit into the operations at the National Insurance Board (NIB) has uncovered a scam involving the payout of close to $3 million in maternity benefits.

Four workers from the Insurance Operations Department at NIB offices in north Trinidad have been sent home with full pay pending the outcome of the investigations.

According to a source at the NIB, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, in mid last year, a woman visited the office of the executive director Niala Persad-Poliah, situated at NIB’s head office at Queen’s Park East, Port-of-Spain, and reported that she discovered approximately $30,000 in her bank account. The woman in her report stated that upon an inquiry with her bank on the origin of the hefty sum of money, she was told that it was her maternity benefit that was paid by the NIB.

However, the woman said she was never pregnant and therefore never applied for such benefit.

On the heels of her report, an internal auditor was mandated to carry out an audit of maternity benefit payments after it was brought to the attention of the audit committee of the Board and to the Board of Directors.

Almost one year later “no action has been taken,” according to NIB sources.

Employees claimed that one executive member is being “wrongly targeted” while those who are allegedly part of the scam “remain on the job.” Employees are now calling on Persad-Poliah “to give the public answers.”

In an immediate response, Persad-Poliah told the Sunday Guardian that whilst this was an ongoing investigation and the NIB could not directly comment, “the NIB takes a zero-tolerance approach to fraud.”

She said NIB has a robust Fraud Control Framework and “all allegations are thoroughly investigated utilising best practice methods, experience and expertise; a combination of well-trained in-house investigators, external consultants and the T&T Police Service Fraud Squad.”

Persad-Poliah said she was “unaware of such an allegation” that an executive member was being targeted. She said the NIB has an efficient and effective grievance policy that “provides employees with a mechanism to expeditiously resolve issues of concern.”

The maternity scam is said to be just one of other scams that have been allegedly discovered at NIB.

Last year, in the corporate communications department it was discovered that rooms were being “illegally” rented out for private functions, including weddings.

A member of the public who had paid money to host a wedding at a room at NIB’s head office reported the “illegal rental arrangement” to the office of the executive director.

“A worker resigned in the midst of this fiasco,” the NIB source said.

That worker, the source added, was also fingered in another scam. It was discovered that the worker was allegedly caught tampering and inflating bids submitted for the purchase of hot cross buns to ensure a family member received the baking contract.

“The billion-dollar enterprises usually give staff complementary hot cross buns in celebration of Easter. The distribution of the sweet delicacy is in keeping with NIB decision to show respect of all religious holidays. Snacks are also distributed to staff during Divali, Eid, and Christmas,” the source said.

With respect to that particular worker, Persad-Poliah confirmed that the individual is no longer with the NIB.

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Image:  Wikimedia Commons