TONER CORRUPTION AND BRIBERY DOWN UNDER

[Anonymous]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/26/2724236.htm
TONER CORRUPTION AND BRIBERY  DOWN UNDER
Photocopier toner prompts corruption investigation
The
Corruption and Crime Commission in WA is investigating the purchase of
office materials by State Government agencies and local governments.The
CCC is investigating allegations the State Government spent hundreds of
thousands of dollars more on photocopy toner than it needed to because
of bullying and deceptive sales techniques by Consumable Management
Group.In his opening comments, counsel assisting Kevin Taverner said
CMG had sold overpriced toner, costing the State Government in excess
of $310,000.

The investigation will examine how government
officials purchased the toner outside of agreed practices, known as
common user agreements.The sales program ran throughout Western
Australia, targeting people from the state’s north, Perth and
Bunbury.Trevor Gould from the Department of Agriculture in Bentley says
he was rung every 15 minutes by staff working at a subsidiary of CMG,
Mycom Laser.Mycom Laser was trying to pressure Mr Gould to buy the
toner and gave him gifts including a GPS, TV and vouchers.

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/ccc-hearing-into-toner-cartridge-bribery-20091026-hg68.html
CCC hearing into toner cartridge bribery
A
corruption watchdog is investigating whether a Melbourne-based company
bribed West Australian public servants into buying toner cartridges at
overinflated prices and in such quantities that a whole office was
needed to store them.

The Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC)
started public hearings in Perth on Monday to determine whether any
public officer had been engaged in misconduct by purchasing items,
particularly toner cartridges, at an overinflated price from Victorian
company Consumable Management Group (CMG).Counsel assisting the
commission Kevin Tavener said the hearings, set down for three days,
would shine “a narrow spotlight on the conduct of public officers who
appeared to have been inveigled by a complex sales technique” applied
by CMG.

Mr Tavener said some public servants were offered
vouchers and inducements including golfing vouchers to buy CMG’s
products.”The application of the particular sales technique led to some
of those public officers ordering items, in particular toner cartridges
for photocopying machines, which was overpriced and not of the stated
quality,” Mr Tavener told the hearing.”The sales techniques included
bullying, deception and the use of inducements.”Mr Tavener said in a
three-year period between January 2006 and January 2009, state
government entities spent $316,000 more with CMG than if they had
followed the government policies.He said procurement officers must
follow set guidelines when making purchases to ensure government
agencies received the best value for money.

He told the hearing
that due to the excess of cartridges supplied by CMG, a dedicated room
full of toners had to be created.”On one occasion a manager contacted
the company to advise them that they were inundated with so many toners
they had to designate an office just to store them in,” Mr Tavener
said.”The salesperson advised the manager that he had never been
advised that they were overstocked, despite assurances from the manager
that her staff had been trying to cancel the orders for a number of
months.”CMG’s sales program was widespread across WA, Mr Tavener
said.The hearings continues.

[Author]

October 27, 2009 at 11:12 AM