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Labor has condemned Australia's foreign bribery laws as "impracticable" and "ineffective" following revelations of widespread corruption by a major Australian aid provider.
Guardian Australia reported Friday that Australian consulting firm Sinclair Knight Merz "sophisticated" corruption of senior Vietnamese officials to get work on aid projects funded by the World Bank.
The firm is also facing criminal charges in Australia for conspiring to bribe officials in Vietnam and the Philippines over a period of more than ten years.
At the same time, SKM achieved significant gains through the Australian government's foreign aid program, obtaining 83 contracts valued at $ 489 million for projects across Asia. -Peaceful.
Shadow Justice Minister Clare O'Neill said Labor would introduce the "toughest anti-corruption laws in the history of Australia" .
O'Neill said that Labor would introduce an exclusion plan that would prevent companies involved in foreign bribery from being assigned other tasks with the Australian government. The system, by closing lucrative government contracts, creates a more severe financial penalty for foreign bribery.
2000-05
According to court records, Sinclair-Knight Merz employees allegedly bribed officials in the Philippines to obtain contracts for a number of projects funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank between 2000 and 2005
2006 -11
According to court documents and a World Bank survey, Sinclair Knight Merz employees allegedly bribed Vietnamese officials between 2006 and 2011 to work on a number of infrastructure projects funded by the World Bank.
2012
Sinclair Knight Merz himself reports his allegations of corruption at the World Bank. The allegations are the subject of an investigation by the Integrity Unit of the World Bank, INT
July 2013
Australian Federal Police investigate allegations of corruption
24 July 2013
The World Bank announces a conditional sanctions agreement with Sinclair Knight Merz, following the company's self-declaration to the World Bank. The company remains able to bid on World Bank contracts, provided that a number of governance and compliance conditions are met by the company
9 September 2013
Jacobs Engineering Group announces merger with Sinclair Knight Merz. Sinclair Knight Merz is maintained as a registered trade name in Australia
January 26, 2018
The World Bank issues a penalty decision on two people involved in corruption cases in Vietnam
11 May 2018
Jacobs Group and a number of former leaders receive notice of appearance in court for Australia
"Labor will crack down on companies doing what's wrong", said O Neill. "We will put in place stronger enforcement mechanisms and put in place an exclusion system to prevent crooked companies from signing contracts with the government."
"We take corporate crime seriously, and believe that more needs to be done to ensure that companies that make the wrong choice are arrested and brought to justice."
Minister of Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, did not respond to requests for comment.
SKM, a company that has since been redeemed, first self-reported evidence of its corruption to the Bank in 2012. The World Bank holds an information-sharing agreement covering integrity cases with the Australian government, making it likely the shares of SKM would have been shared.
Despite this, SKM continued to obtain contracts with the Australian government, including through the foreign aid program, until the end of 2013.
The Transparency International anti-corruption group has long called for an exclusionary regime in Australia.
TI Australia's general manager, Serena Lillywhite, told Guardian Australia last week that an "opt-out" plan was needed to strengthen Australia's anti-corruption regime.
"Currently, there are no transparent policies or guidelines for the exclusion of companies or individuals involved in foreign bribery associated with Australian government contracts," she said. . a transparent exclusion scheme for all government procurement agencies. This was recommended by the OECD in its assessment of Australia in the context of compliance with the OECD regime. "
Lillywhite also called for more resources for the Australian Federal Police in order to improve the chances of successful prosecution." (19659002) The criminal case against SKM is still before the courts. The company does not exist anymore, but the company that bought it, the American giant Jacobs, is distanced from the past actions of SKM.
"The Activities reported to authorities by SKM date from 18 years ago, long before Jacobs buys SKM in December 2013, "said a spokeswoman for Jacobs." Under no circumstances does this conduct reflect Jacobs' ethical standards and business practices. "
• This story is backed by the Susan McKinnon Foundation through the Guardian Civic Journalism Trust [19659040]
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