PUBLIC servants caught taking thousands of dollars in kickbacks as part of a massive rort of toner cartridges won't be named and are free to remain on the public payroll.
An Ombudsman's report found Arts Victoria staff, teachers and a prison employee were among government staff who received gifts, including iPhones, for wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayers' dollars on overpriced printer toner.
They bought hundreds of cartridges from a Victorian company that sold them at up to four times the price offered by the Government's recommended supplier.
In return they were lavished with smartphones, pre-paid Visa cards, MP3 players, cameras, TVs and vouchers for Coles and Safeway.
But the Ombudsman's report into "Tonergate" stopped short of naming them or recommending police charges.
Premier Ted Baillieu has asked the Ombudsman to re-examine the evidence to see if any laws were broken.
He is also looking at tightening regulations on gifts for public servants.
Most of the staff sprung by Tonergate are still on the government payroll.
The worst case was the Arts Victoria project officer who spent more than $80,000 on enough black toner cartridges to supply the government department for 40 years, although the cartridges were due to expire in two years.
In return, she received $8300 in pre-paid visa cards and Coles Myer vouchers from the cartridge company.
"My investigation found no evidence to suggest that her actions were the result of anything other than a desire to obtain free gifts," Ombudsman George Brouwer said.
"She has also been willing to lie to my office and to Arts Victoria to conceal her conduct."
She resigned during the investigation and most of the toner has been returned to the company.
Two teachers and an assistant principal also caught out have been disciplined but remain in their jobs.
The Ombudsman declined to identify the toner company in his report, but Mr Baillieu said the company should be named.
The report was critical of Arts Victoria director Penny Hutchinson's failure to deal with the management problems that allowed the corruption to flourish.
Mr Baillieu has called for Arts Victoria to stop the culture of freebies.
heraldsun.com.au 16 Jun 2011
Kickback in government are NOT new.
They have been going o for quite some time, in all sectors, where possible.
Only a few reported cases make it out into the public arena.
Business deals are made in this fraudulent manner.
No scalps will handed over and definitely NO court time will be allocated to such matters.
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