Noticed and Not Really Surprised

Written by Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

Why-o-Why?

 

I have been watching the developments of this since it broke into the Main Stream Media recently. This being the Serious Fraud Office poised to investigate Auckland Transport after irregularities its consequences spill from AT to now the main Council.

The most recent piece from the NZ Herald:

Senior council workers in probe

By Bevan Hurley

A corruption inquiry at Auckland Transport has widened as a manager under suspicion has gone on sick leave.

The senior staff member is one of at least three Auckland Transport employees to have their computers seized as part of an internal inquiry into roading contracts.

The Serious Fraud Office is poised to step in. The usual $2-million threshold for an SFO inquiry would not be required due to the high public interest, a spokeswoman said.

 

Auckland Transport manager Murray Noone was fired last week after an internal investigation found “serious conflict-of-interest and performance issues”.

Noone was running a private consultancy business, Preside Consulting, while working for Auckland Transport.

 

Auckland Council member Wayne Walker said serious questions around contracts to large contractors had been raised. “The tendering process is increasingly shutting out the small and medium-size players,” he said.

…

 

You can read the rest over at the Herald site.

 

My only comment to this mess over at Auckland Transport is this: “Why-o-why?” It does not make life easy for the small or medium fellows that is for sure. And the saying goes: Bigger is not always better.

 

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