Primary Industries Department hires private investigator as 41 South Australian government agencies are linked with the increasing scandal.
The Department of Primary Industries has hired a private investigator to investigate the Australian printer cartridge scandal as 41 South Australian government agencies are found to be connected, despite doubts from the opposition, reports ABC.
A State Parliamentary committee has been informed of 134 invoices from suspect supplies have been identified detailing exchanges over the last four years while the investigator, a former police officer, is said to be “helping review the cases”.
State Opposition finance spokesman Rob Lucas has doubts that an investigator’s involvement will prove effective, commenting: “The body that should be conducting an investigation isn’t a collection of private investigators. It should be the Auditor-General who should be conducting a comprehensive independent inquiry.”
Almost AU$1 million ($1 million/€766,000) is discovered to have been paid to suspect supplies by a government-appointed working group.
The Australian government has recently refused access to documents pertaining to the scandal, with Finance Minister Michael O’Brien stating it would jeopardise an on-going government-commissioned investigation.