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PAST PRESIDENT CGA - CRIMINAL TRIAL - GETS 3 1/2 YEARS IN PRISON!!!!
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WARNING RE CGA CANADA
    
OF CONCERN TO ACCOUNTING STUDENTS, ACCOUNTANTS  AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC
    
CGA'S IN CANADA - WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEM?
    
    
Further to previous news reports,the Past President of CGA Alberta,
William L. Mearns, 52, has finally been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison
on his conviction for embezzling more than C$1.3 million from the County
of Red Deer,Alberta.
    
Over the past year, national media have been filling the news with stories
of major scandals involving prominent CERTIFIED GENERAL ACCOUNTANTS
(CGA's) in Canada.
    
In Alberta, the media have had a field day for the past year, reporting on
the fact that a PAST PRESIDENT OF CGA ALBERTA, and FCGA and CGA, was under
criminal investigation, was charged with 14 serious criminal charges, and
has now been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison.
    
The complaints against Mearns were originally filed by the Hongkong Bank
to the RCMP Commercial Crime Division.
   
The HK Bank were complaining about William L. Mearns, who had been for 12
years the Controller/Treasurer of the County of Red deer, Alberta.
   
MEARNS WAS CHARGED WITH 14 SERIOUS CRIMINAL CHARGES, as reported by
CFRN-TV, the Edmonton Sun, and Red Deer Advocate. Among the charges are 5
charges of uttering forged documents, another 5 charges of making a false
document, 2 more charges of forgery, one more charge of fraud, and one of
theft over $5,000.00
    
MORE THAN 1.3 MILLION DOLLARS was documented in Court as embezzled by
Mearns.
    
Following a third adjournment requested by Mearns, on 4th October 1996,
Mearns was convicted, and sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison.
   
The Special Crown Prosecutor stated " the motive in this case is very
obvious. The motive in everything I've seen is greed."  "He was in a
position of public trust. In essence, he stole the money from each and
every ratepayer in this county."
    
At the end of 1995, without any advice to the general public or EVEN TO
MEMBERS OF CGA ALBERTA, MEARNS WAS ALLOWED TO SECRETLY RESIGN BOTH HIS CGA
AND FCGA DESIGNATIONS.
    
This seems to be a first for Canada, where an FCGA surrenders what was
supposed to be a prestigious designation. In the past year Mearns and one
his businesses have both gone bankrupt.
    
    
Mind you, Mearns got his FCGA in connection with his work in 1987-1988,
where he was involved with the ADMISSION TO CGA ALBERTA OF UNQUALIFIED
BOOKKEEPERS, WHO WERE GIVEN THE CGA DESIGNATION, WITHOUT ANY REQUIREMENT
FOR EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS, AND NO EXAMS, or even a requirement for
upgrading courses to bring them up to an acceptable standard. CGA Alberta
of course benefitted financially, from the huge increase in dues and fees
from these new unqualified members.
   
    
The Vancouver Sun and other national media carried banner headlines
regarding ROMAN EVANCIC, another FCGA, who had got himself SHOT!!! This
was apparently in connection with some business partner and a collections
problem. The news reported that the assailant said, as he shot Evancic:
"I'm from your stock brokers. I understand you ripped him off."
(Vancouver Sun - 11 January 1996)
     
And don't forget the scandal exposed on national TV of the Surrey, BC  CGA
convicted of embezzling millions of dollars from fellow parishioners of
his church.
    
And now the media in Ontario are reporting regarding more scandals
involving senior members of CGA Ontario!!!  Will the bad news never stop?
    
Are these published reports, as well as others, part of the reason that
the Maritime Provinces have successfully maintained that CGA's in those
provinces ARE NOT QUALIFIED to perform public audits? Could it have
something to do with the fact that an unqualified CGA from Alberta could
move to the Maritimes, and even though unqualified, could still call
himself a CGA there?
    
    
As a result of the extensive bad publicity regarding problem CGA's in
Canada, CGA Canada is now desperately trying to recruit new members from
the ignorant in CHINA, S.E.Asia and the Caribbean.
    
    
Students of accounting in CHINA, S.E.Asia and the Caribbean, who must pay
many tens of thousands of dollars to obtain your designation, how do YOU
feel about these  "gwaliau" whoi got the CGA for FREE?
   
Those of you concerned about credibility in the accounting profession are
invited to respond.