Hamilton Police say they are no longer "actively investigating" a suspected city hall fraud cause involving more than $1 million. But the city says it's still providing information to police regarding the case of mismanaged funds.

The police major fraud unit was called in to investigate the 2013 case involving $1,058,235.20 that went missing over a period of nine years. Some of it was from the Hamilton Farmers Market.

Police never publicly announced any charges, and spokesperson Catherine Martin told CBC late last month there's "no active investigation." She directed further inquiries to the city.

The city said on Monday that it's managed to recoup the money from its insurance company because internal and forensic audits confirmed a "mishandling" of funds by a former employee.

Finance head Mike Zegarac also told CBC Hamilton that the city has given police information as recently as last week to help with the case.

There are still many questions around the three-year-old incident, which saw the city terminate a long-time city employee. Among those questions: if any other employees were involved, and how the alleged theft went on for nine years without anyone noticing.

An accounts receivable co-ordinator lost his job in connection with the fraud.

Zegarac wouldn't say Monday whether other employees were involved. That was part of a forensic audit, which he says is confidential information.

Zegarac says the city used the outcome of that forensic audit to file a successful insurance claim.

The money didn't come from one particular area of the city, Zegarac said in 2013. Although market vendors said at the time that the dismissed employee collected stall fees from the farmers market.

Zegarac said Monday that the case "involved a number of vendors, and it involved principally a small number of larger vendors. The farmers market was one of the areas that were reviewed under the scope of the work."

The secrecy bothers Shane Coleman, who runs Dilly's, an organic produce stand at the market. He also sits on the farmers market board.

Coleman says he's been trying to get the results of the 2014 forensic audit related to the case. After sending numerous emails to city staff, he filed a formal Freedom of Information Act request last week.

"How can you go nine years and not catch it?" he said. "How come nobody noticed for that many years? It's not possible."

The city noticed discrepancies in 2013 as staff were in the process of encouraging vendors who normally pay in cash to supply cheques instead, Zegarac said then. The city distributed notices to vendors asking for their help in a police probe into the fraud.

CUPE 5167 grieved the worker's dismissal. President Sandra Walker would only say on Monday that the case was settled and the result is confidential.

The city also looked at new cash-handling policies as a result of the missing money.

Jason Farr, Ward 2 councillor who sits on the market board, wouldn't talk on Monday either. He would only say he's satisfied with the case so far.

"I'm going to leave any comment until after (the release)," he said.