A criminal investigation is underway against the former McGill executive suspected of embezzling $ 369,852 from the institution's accounts to renovate his luxurious Laval home.
According to our information, the Montreal police opened the investigation after the University filed a criminal complaint against its former Deputy Director for Residences, Buildings and Facilities, Donald Nycklass.
From 2013 to 2017, the former executive charged McGill for products for his own home, as reported by our Investigation Office yesterday.
Secret agreement
However, the establishment contacted the authorities reluctantly. He had first signed a secret agreement with Nycklass to recover the stolen funds discreetly, last August.
"In conditions where there was no perfect solution, McGill, a publicly funded institution, opted for the solution that would allow it to recover the maximum amounts owed," says Carole Graveline, Senior Director of Relationships. at the University.
Under an out-of-court "transaction", Nycklass pledged to repay the $ 207,787 in fake invoices at the time.
But if the institution found other misappropriated amounts, it promised to repay them "within 10 working days".
That's what happened in November, when McGill found $ 162,050 in new embezzlement and claimed it at Nycklass in a formal notice, according to the statement of the University's lawyer filed in court higher.
Without an answer from his former employee, the institution then contacted the police.
Inquiry at VIA Rail
The revelations from our Investigative Office also made a stir at VIA Rail, which hired Nycklass last January as project manager.
"An internal investigation is currently underway," says Mariam Diaby, spokesperson for the federal rail carrier.
According to McGill, the Crown corporation never contacted her for professional references from her former executive.
"When hiring a new employee, we do business with a firm specializing in the field that carries out the following checks: criminal history, references. We also perform psychometric tests, "says Mariam Diaby.
VIA Rail did not want to comment further. Certainly, the carrier could not find anything on Nycklass in the court records at the time of hiring, since McGill had not commenced any proceedings against him at the time.
At McGill, Carole Graveline said that the institution is not at its first confidential agreement with a suspected financial malpractice ... nor his last.
"The University will continue depending on the circumstances to make or not agreements in its best interest. "