Second CBA IT exec charged for corruption
A second man, who was a former Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) IT executive, has been charged for allegedly being involved in corruptly receiving payments from a US-based IT company while working at the bank.
New South Wales Police charged the 44-year-old man, who is a New Zealand citizen based in Sydney, on Thursday with seven counts of agent corruptly receiving benefits totalling almost AU$1.9 million. He has been granted bail, and will face the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on May 1, 2015.
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On March 17, Keith Hunter, another former CBA IT executive and a Sydney-based US national, was arrested and charged for being involved in the same case, following ongoing joint investigations between NSW Police's fraud and cybercrime squad and the United State's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was granted bail after being arrested, and is due to face the same court on April 1, 2015.
It is alleged that both managers had received payments from the IT company involved after they granted the company a lucrative contract without putting it to public tender.
A CBA spokesperson previously informed ZDNet that the bank tipped off the police earlier this year, after internal investigations were carried out. It was discovered that some suspicious payments were deposited into the bank accounts of two of its former senior IT staff members. The case was then referred to the NSW Police fraud and cybercrime squad's corporate corruption unit.
The CBA spokesperson said at the time that it would continue to fully cooperate with NSW Police while investigations continue.
"We have no tolerance for any illegal activity by any employee, and we take every situation seriously," the spokesperson said.
NSW Police said inquiries are ongoing.