Dodgy companies suspected of bribery and money laundering won huge government contracts under the nation’s offshore processing system, a damning review has found.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil on Monday released a report by former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson, into the history of offshore processing contracts.
The review looked at allegations the Home Affairs Department used contractors to deliver regional processing services that were suspected of misusing taxpayer money in Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
“Proper due diligence was lacking when it came to contracts with relatively small companies with limited or no public profile, and where operations were to be in high risk environments,” it reads.
The report did not find evidence of any ministerial involvement in the regional processing contract or procurement decisions.
No individuals were referred to the Australian Federal Police or the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
But the contact details of three people were passed on, with their consent.
Ms O’Neil said the review left the door open to potential criminal investigations by the AFP.
She called on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to explain what he knew about the allegations, given he led the Home Affairs Department in the previous coalition government.
“Peter Dutton is a fraud,” she told reporters in Canberra.
“He presents himself as a tough guy on the border, but this report today shows that he oversaw a system where hundreds of millions of dollars was potentially used to facilitate criminal conduct.
“He has to tell us what he knew, when, and why he didn’t do anything about it.”
The review made four recommendations, one of which was redacted.
One recommendation called for the department to beef up its integrity risk process and culture to better inform procurement and contract decision-making for regional processing arrangements.
This should be done by more carefully considering the environment in which a procurement is conducted or a contract is delivered, and the ethical conduct of tenderers, suppliers and supply chains.
This post was originally published on Michael West.