OPA reiterated the request in its latest audit recommendations report tracking down the progress of different government agencies in following auditing rules.
In 2000, OPA audited the compensatory time claimed and retirement benefits paid to two former officials of the Commonwealth Ports Authority.
The two who were not identified in the report apparently got extra pension payments because their overtime and comptime were also included in the computation of benefits.
But the Attorney General’s Office issued a legal opinion, stating that the overtime and comptime “may not be used to calculate the amount of benefit, but only for determining eligibility for retirement.”
The “AGO recommended that recalculation of benefits to affected members should be made, and the amount of overpayments should be determined. [The] AGO further stated that members should be informed and advised of their right to appeal and adverse determination. If no appeal is filed, then the collection process must be undertaken by [the Retirement Fund],” the report stated.
It took the Fund three years to recalculate the pension benefits of the two CPA officials.
However, OPA noted it did not receive information about other cases with the same issue.
“In his response dated 7/22/03, the [Fund] administrator stated that the pensions of the two former CPA officials were recalculated down from the original calculations. OPA was not informed, however, of the results for recalculating the pension benefits of all other Fund members in determining which beneficiaries have been overpaid and what further actions were taken after their determination,” it said.
“[The Fund] should inform OPA of a target date when their recalculation of pension benefits for all other Fund members will be completed. Once completed, [the Fund] should provide OPA evidence that corrective action was taken to adjust the benefits of affected members,” it added.
