The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is reported to have interrogated a businessman over RM11.3 million in commissions he allegedly received from two Australian companies to secure Malaysian government contracts to print banknotes. Melbourne's The Age newspaper reported that the Australian authorities have requested MACC's help in its investigation into the RM134 million (A$47.5 million) in commissions paid by banknote firms Securency and Note Printing Australia - both subsidiaries of Australia's central bank, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).- over a six-year period.
NICK MCKENZIE AND RICHARD BAKER
July 22, 2010
THE police inquiry into alleged bribery by Reserve Bank of Australia subsidiaries has had a major breakthrough, with an overseas witness providing details about alleged kickbacks to Malaysian officials.
A Malaysian businessman has been interviewed by anti-corruption authorities in Kuala Lumpur about his work as a middleman for RBA banknote firms Securency and Note Printing Australia between the late 1990s and 2007.
Intelligence from the interviews has been sent to the Australian Federal Police taskforce investigating whether executives of the two RBA subsidiaries breached anti-bribery laws due to their knowledge of payments made to foreign officials to help win banknote supply and printing contracts.
The RBA owns half of Securency and all of Note Printing Australia. RBA-appointed directors are responsible for supervising the firms, including during the period in which the alleged corruption occurred.A source aware of the work of Malaysian anti-corruption authorities said the middleman provided details about the $4 million in commissions he received from Securency and Note Printing Australia.
The middleman was paid the money to help the RBA firms win currency supply and printing contracts from Malaysia's central bank due to his claimed high-level connections in the country's ruling UMNO political party.
(Click here to read moe at The Age)
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