Senator Nicholas D. Kettle, (R-Dist. 21, Coventry, Foster, Scituate, West Greenwich), announced Tuesday that the Coventry legislative delegation has asked for an investigation into the Central Coventry Fire District’s handling of its pension fund.
Kettle, along with Senator Leo Raptakis and Representatives Michael Chippendale, Lisa Tomasso, Jared Nunes and Patricia Morgan, requested Attorney General Peter Kilmartin begin a criminal investigation into the district’s failure to make its or employees’ payments into the Municipal Employees Retirement System between December 2011 and September 2012.
“The people of the district as well as the fire personnel deserve an answer as to where that money has gone,” Kettle said. “The fire district is currently in receivership and if criminal actions led to the current situation, we need to know.”
The district is currently under the control of Special Master Richard Land who on Monday stated that his intention had always been to investigate the history behind the district's financial troubles and that the process had recently been started.
"I certainly don't disagree with the legislators requesting that the Attorney General get involved if he feels that it is appropriate to do so and I'd be happy to lend a hand with whatever they need from us," said Land. "This is one more resource that's being tapped into to investigate what happened here."
The delegation also asked Kilmartin to look into a loan the district obtained that was not in anticipation of tax revenue.