Former federal consultant who overbilled government charged with fraud

OTTAWA — A former federal consultant has been charged with fraud for overbilling the government by $250,000.

The RCMP say Clara Elaine Visser faces one charge of fraud over $5,000, following an investigation first launched by Public Services and Procurement Canada three years ago.

The RCMP say the charge was laid based on evidence showing fraudulent time sheets were submitted between Jan. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.

Public Services and Procurement Canada says in a separate statement that it notified the Mounties last fall after a two-year internal probe found an individual had contract work with eight different federal departments using eight different primary contractors.

The individual’s security clearance was cancelled in June 2021 and revoked entirely in September 2023.

Visser is scheduled to appear in court in September.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press