Former public servant admits to bribes for government cleaning contracts

Fairfax Media recently discovered that a corrupt senior public servant has given an 'explosive' statement about kickbacks she received in return for tens of millions of dollars for government cleaning contracts.

Following its investigation into bribes being paid to secure cleaning contracts earlier this year, Fairfax Media has discovered that ‘a corrupt senior public servant has given an explosive statement about kickbacks she received in return for tens of millions of dollars of government contracts’.

Photo courtesy www.smh.com.au
Photo courtesy www.smh.com.au

According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald on 30 September 2016, ‘it is alleged several public servants may be involved in the scandal, which involves potentially tens of millions of dollars of service contracts at key state government sites across NSW, including the Sydney Harbour foreshore, the Powerhouse Museum, the Art Gallery of NSW and the State Sports Centre’.

In September 2015, self-confessed public servant Kylie Vernon was called to a secret hearing with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), where she gave ‘details of suspect contracts, colleagues and alleged bribes paid by several NSW contractors’.

‘The involvement of ICAC and the extent of Ms Vernon’s allegations have not before been made public’.

In her statement, Ms Vernon revealed that ‘she was first bribed by a large NSW contractor in 1998’.

“Between about 1998 to 2013, I received approximately $200,000 in corrupt payments … relating to the assistance and the granting of contracts … by the SHFA,” she said in her statement to ICAC.

‘Ms Vernon’s statement also discloses that she pocketed her last bribe in 2013’.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that ‘ICAC has been briefed on certain public servants, including a former senior official at a major government venue, who have been hired as consultants by private contractors’.

‘In a statement to Fairfax Media, a spokesman for the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation said it had completed its investigation into Ms Vernon’s allegations’.

www.smh.com.au

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