Royal Canadian Mint ordered to call in RCMP over missing gold
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 | 5:11 PM ET
The Canadian Press
The federal government has told the Royal Canadian Mint to call in the RCMP to help find its missing gold and silver.
Rob Merrifield, minister responsible for the mint, told the House of Commons Tuesday he has instructed the agency to seek assistance from the Mounties.
The Toronto Star reported Tuesday that auditors are trying to track precious metals, believed to be gold, worth in the "double digits" of millions.
The mint won't say how much might be missing, but auditors are already probing a discrepancy between the value of the precious metals on the mint's books and the stockpile on hand at its Ottawa headquarters.
Mint spokeswoman Christine Aquino said last week the discrepancy could be anything from a heist to sloppy record-keeping.
She said an unprecedented demand for gold in 2008 put pressure on the mint's internal control systems, which led to the "unreconciled difference" between the gold on hand and the value recorded in the mint's books.
The year saw a steep increase in production of the mint's gold Maple Leaf coins.
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