B-121891, DEC 7, 1954
Highlights
FOREIGN OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 23. IT IS STATED THAT MR. KING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FOREIGN OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION IN NOVEMBER 1953 AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE LOSS WAS TRANSFERRED TO HIS SUCCESSOR. KING WAS THE AGENT CASHIER AND MR. WHILE EFFORTS TO DETERMINE HOW AND AT WHAT POINT THE LOSS OCCURRED HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. IT APPEARS THAT THE SHIPMENT WAS MADE BY MR. IT IS REPORTED THAT UPON DISCOVERY OF THE LOSS. SUCH PROCEDURES WERE REVISED TO PROVIDE GREATER CONTROL ON THE MOVEMENT OF FUNDS SO AS TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF SIMILAR LOSSES. THE AUDITS DIVISION OF THIS OFFICE WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO TAKE ACTION ACCORDINGLY. RELIEF WILL BE GRANTED IN THIS CASE.
B-121891, DEC 7, 1954
PRECIS-UNAVAILABLE
HAROLD E. STASSEN, FOREIGN OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 23, 1954, REQUESTING THAT RELIEF BE GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF AUGUST 1, 1947, 61 STAT. 720, 31 U.S.C. 82A-1, FOR THE LOSS OF POUNDS STERLING L74.2.9 IN MAY 1951 IN THE ACCOUNTS OF THE AGENT CASHIER IN LONDON, F. LAMAR KING, UNDER THE MUTUAL SECURITY AGENCY OPERATIONS, NOW MERGED WITH THE FOREIGN OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION. IT IS STATED THAT MR. KING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FOREIGN OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION IN NOVEMBER 1953 AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE LOSS WAS TRANSFERRED TO HIS SUCCESSOR, RICHARD J. QUIRK, THE PRESENT AGENT CASHIER IN LONDON.
IT APPEARS FROM THE RECORD THAT AT THE TIME THE LOSS OCCURRED MR. KING WAS THE AGENT CASHIER AND MR. QUIRK, THE ALTERNATE AGENT CASHIER. IN THIS CAPACITY, MR. QUIRK HANDLED A SHIPMENT OF STERLING TO THE AGENT CASHIER IN PARIS, WHICH SHIPMENT APPARENTLY BECAME LOST SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE LONDON OFFICE AND THE PARIS OFFICE. WHILE EFFORTS TO DETERMINE HOW AND AT WHAT POINT THE LOSS OCCURRED HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL, IT APPEARS THAT THE SHIPMENT WAS MADE BY MR. QUIRK IN THE DISCHARGE OF OFFICIAL DUTIES AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCEDURES THEN IN EFFECT. ALSO, IT IS REPORTED THAT UPON DISCOVERY OF THE LOSS, SUCH PROCEDURES WERE REVISED TO PROVIDE GREATER CONTROL ON THE MOVEMENT OF FUNDS SO AS TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF SIMILAR LOSSES.
IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, IT PROPERLY APPEARS THAT MR. QUIRK MAY BE GRANTED RELIEF UNDER THE ACT OF AUGUST 1, 1947, AND THE AUDITS DIVISION OF THIS OFFICE WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO TAKE ACTION ACCORDINGLY.
WHILE, AS STATED ABOVE, RELIEF WILL BE GRANTED IN THIS CASE, IT IS NOTED THAT THE AMOUNT OF THE LOSS WAS NOT DISCLOSED IN THE ACCOUNTS OF EITHER MR. KING OR MR. QUIRK IN THAT THE LOSS HAD BEEN INCLUDED WITHOUT FURTHER DISCLOSURE AS TO WHAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE AMOUNT REPORTED AS "CASH ON HAND" AND IN THE "BALANCE DUE THE UNITED STATES." CONSEQUENTLY, AND ALTHOUGH IT IS REPORTED THAT CERTAIN CONTROL MEASURES HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED REQUIRING THAT LOSSES BE PROMPTLY REPORTED, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO HAVING ALL AGENT CASHIER FUNDS VERIFIED THROUGH ACTUAL COUNT AT IRREGULAR INTERVALS BY PERSONNEL HAVING NO DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUNDS.