Former IWK CEO Tracy Fitch has been convicted of fraud over $5,000 after a retrial.Article contentFormer IWK Health Centre chief executive officer Tracy Leanne Kitch has been convicted for a second time of defrauding the hospital.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentIn a decision delivered Friday in Kentville provincial court, Judge Ronda van der Hoek said there was sufficient evidence to convict Kitch of fraud over $5,000 for charging more than $43,000 in personal expenses to her corporate credit card.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentKitch, 63, of Oakville, Ont., had originally been convicted in February 2022 and sentenced to five months in jail, but that conviction was overturned on appeal.Article contentShe committed the offences between late 2014 and June 2017.Article contentMost of the personal expenditures were for pre-purchased flight passes from Air Canada for travel between Halifax and Toronto, where Kitch’s family was living. There were also smaller charges for taxis, hotels, baggage, flight changes and meals.Article contentA forensic accountant determined that of $143,730 in expenses incurred by Kitch while she was CEO, $28,654 in travel expenses was not supported by scheduled business events on Kitch’s calendar.Article contentHe also found she claimed $7,670 in expenses while on vacation or holidays, and that she had no supporting receipts or invoices for an additional $6,782 in expenses.Article contentKitch resigned in August 2017 after an independent audit determined she had used her corporate credit card to pay for about $47,000 in personal expenses. She was charged in October 2018.Article contentArticle contentShe reimbursed the hospital for the expenses, but not until after the audit.Article content“No person employed in a public institution is permitted to use public funds for personal use,” the judge said in handing down her decision. “Personal use of taxis, air travel and personal purchases made on corporate credit cards are verboten.”Article contentShe said if someone engages in those activities but reports them promptly and repays the employer then they may not end up in court, but that is not what happened in Kitch’s case.Article content“Ms. Kitch repeatedly used IWK resources for personal reasons and accounted for them as business costs on her credit card expense reconciliations,” van der Hoek said.Article content“In the early days she reported and repaid a few personal charges, an accidental charge, and approximately $1,400 by money order. Those are not the subject of the charge before the court, but it is evidence that Ms. Kitch knew she could not use corporate resources for personal reasons.”
Former IWK CEO Tracy Kitch convicted of fraud after retrial
