A TOP official in Victoria’s Justice Department attempted to suppress an internal fraud investigation that targeted one of their colleagues, telling corruption investigators their probe would create an ”embarrassment” for the agency.
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The official’s interference in the fraud probe at the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages was secretly recorded and sparked an Ombudsman’s inquiry, plus a review of the registry by auditors.
It is one of several examples of misconduct or poor processes at the registry uncovered during an Age investigation, including substandard security measures around the storage and auditing of blank security paper, which is highly sought-after by identity thieves because it enables them to make fake birth certificates. The internal fraud investigation began in late 2009, when Justice Department investigators uncovered a senior manager allegedly spending thousands of dollars in registry funds for personal use.
Advertisement: Story continues below Investigators recommended in a report that this manager’s conduct be referred to “the Office of Public Prosecutions in regard to theft, fraud and other like offences”.
But after presenting evidence of the alleged fraud to a top Justice Department official – whom The Age is not naming for legal reasons – the investigators were berated for conducting an inquiry that could embarrass the department.
“There are many different ways to slice everything up and to arrive at an outcome which is a better outcome than that which unearths an embarrassment for the department, the organisation and for those people who are involved in whatever way,” the top departmental official was recorded telling investigators.
When pressed about the suspect’s shredding of receipts to cover up the alleged theft of taxpayers’ money, the top official told the investigators: “That is a general part of what happens in most government organisations.”
In a later confidential departmental report about their probe, the internal investigators wrote that the top official had “declined” their request that the suspect be suspended “so as to restrict the ability to destroy evidence and to safeguard public monies”.
A spokesman for the Justice Department confirmed the existence of the internal fraud inquiry and said a subsequent review of the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages had led to “changes … to the management team at BDM”. The Age understands that, after the complaint by the corruption investigators to the Ombudsman, the senior official was moved to a new role in the department, while the staff member accused of fraud was disciplined.
The spokesman said: “The Department of Justice takes the management of all public money seriously and acted decisively to ensure that all the issues in relation to this matter were investigated appropriately.” He also said issues on the security of sensitive identity papers had been addressed.
Sources from the registry said blank birth certificate documents were often left where they could be easily stolen.
“The department commissioned Ernst & Young to review document control at BDM,” the spokesman said. ”The review made recommendations … which have been fully implemented. The department separately commissioned an independent review into staff-management dynamics, culture and morale at BDM. Its recommendations are being fully implemented.”
