Sep 23, 1999

Dear Editor:

The case of former Bureau of Workers' Compensation employee Nancy Wall, who was sentenced to six years in prison for stealing $380,000 from that agency (Dispatch, Aug. 20), indicates continuing problems with the audits and internal investigations at BWC.

In June 1997, the State Inspector General's Office released a report on BWC's operations. The report noted serious deficiencies in BWC's auditing and internal investigations.

The report stated in part: "[W]e must also note that the lack of internal audit controls coupled with some rather questionable conduct in the course of responding to alleged wrongdoing associated with the claims process serves to cast a cloud over the integrity of this system. That cloud will only be removed by the establishment of a process of checks and balances within the bureau that can address the serious systemic deficiencies revealed herein."

In Wall's case, published reports show that she repeatedly stole money from BWC over an 18-month period. State auditors did not detect her activity; instead, it came to the attention of BWC officials because one of her alleged co-conspirators blew the whistle on her.

Additionally, Wall resigned from the agency soon after being informed that she was under investigation, but BWC never prosecuted her until more than two years later. BWC still has not prosecuted any of the three injured workers who reportedly helped her with the theft and received most of the money.

The Wall case indicates that BWC officials need to do a much better job of auditing the agency's handling of funds and swiftly punishing any persons found misappropriating those funds.

Sincerely,

I. M. Ademocrat