The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has prepared a report examining allegations that two public officers at the Department for Infrastructure and Transport misused their government purchase cards.
In its report Buy Now, Lie Later: Corruption risks in the management of government issued purchase cards ICAC alleges that over approximately three years, the public officers charged almost $400,000 to their purchase cards.
ICAC found that while most of the purchases were deemed legitimate, a number appeared unnecessary for their roles with almost 10 per cent of the items purchased unable to be accounted for.
“During the investigation, the Commission uncovered a manual receipt submitted to the electronic records management system for $2,000 of computer hardware which read: ‘Fake receipt to keep Pro Master happy :)’,” ICAC Commissioner Ann Vanstone said.
“Unfortunately, the misuse of Government purchase cards has been the subject of many complaints and reports dealt with by me and the former Commissioner,” she said.
“When a pattern of purchase card misuse develops, the improper expenditure of public funds can quickly accumulate.”
Commissioner Vanstone said the ICAC report makes five recommendations in relation to the management of Government purchase cards and asset management.
The Department for Infrastructure and Transport accepted the Commission’s five recommendations and is to address them by March 2023.
ICAC’s 13-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
