The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has been asked to investigate the private holiday expenses scandal at Tourism Australia, Crikey can reveal.
The news comes just a day after it was revealed that the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) had decided not to examine the matter.
The AFP referral is the latest development in the two months since Crikey broke the story that three employees at Tourism Australia, including a senior staff member, had been fired after going on personal holidays with $137,441 of taxpayer money. The trio was made to pay the money back.
“The matter has been referred to the AFP. It is not appropriate to comment further,” a federal government spokesperson told Crikey. “Given NACC has recently decided to take no further action, all questions will now be answered on notice where appropriate.”
Following the publication of this article, a police spokesperson issued a statement confirming the referral was received on Thursday.
“Investigators will assess the report to determine if a crime has been committed under Commonwealth law. No further comment will be made at this stage,” the statement said.
Tourism Australia also supplied comment after the publication of the story. In its statement, the agency said it had contacted police “following on from the confirmation that the NACC had decided to take no further action”.
The agency also said it would drop its immunity claim from Senate questioning as a result of the NACC’s decision to pass on investigating.
“Tourism Australia has advised the Senate committee of its intention to withdraw the public interest immunity claim now that the NACC has concluded its consideration of the matter. Tourism Australia will respond to the relevant questions as part of the questions on notice process where appropriate,” a spokesperson said.
Tourism Australia first contacted the NACC on January 25 and was subsequently advised not to tell Senate estimates too much information, so as not to “compromise current or potential investigations and prematurely impact the reputation of individuals”, according to managing director Phillipa Harrison. On June 5, the day after that estimates hearing, Tourism Australia was told the NACC had decided not to proceed with an investigation.
When the story first broke, people with insight into Tourism Australia said people in the agency and the wider tourism industry were “shocked” after rumours began circulating following an all-staff meeting on December 7. At that meeting, it’s understood the firing of one of the people involved was announced and staff were reminded of their obligations under agency policies.
“Most people in Tourism Australia absolutely do the right thing, are passionate about their jobs, and take seriously that it’s taxpayer money we’re dealing with,” one insider told Crikey at the time.
When Harrison fronted estimates, she avoided most follow-up questions about the matter after reading from a prepared statement.
The statement said Trade Minister Don Farrell’s office was “verbally” made aware of what had happened in early November, followed by a more formal, written notice to the minister in late December.
Shortly after the discovery, the consultancy firm Deloitte was brought in to carry out a “thorough forensic audit” related to the incident. The audit went back through three years of travel records, financial systems and processes in Australia and abroad, and “no further instances of wrongdoing were identified”, Harrison said.
Earlier on Thursday, the federal opposition called on Farrell to explain how the scandal was allowed to happen.
Tourism Australia and the AFP were contacted for comment but did not respond in time for publication.
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