The Guardian has revealed what is going to be told to the Public Accounts Committe tomorrow (Tuesday). Both A4e and Working Links employed investigators to look into financial discrepancies, and then refused to hold formal enquiries. "A senior figure in A4e's risk and audit department in 2011, claims there was evidence of fraudulent activity in many of the firm's offices. He says that, in two of A4e's offices, staff were caught with company stamps that could be used on paperwork to claim public money for placing people in jobs. Despite a formal investigation, A4e took no action, the witness claims." A4e has responded by saying that "the stamps were only used with the employers' full knowledge and consent, and that a stamp alone could not be used to validate claims." I'd like to know the details of that. But A4e is not going to be invited to the meeting to give evidence themselves, and they are very cross about that. "Wherever we have been given facts to support any previous allegations, we have looked into them and we have not found a single allegation of fraud that stands up." Can we mention their own 2009 internal report?
One witness, the head of a forensic services department in an accountancy firm, alleges that he was asked in 2008 by Working Links to investigate allegations by whistleblowers and employees who were concerned about fraud.
ReplyDeleteHe claims that, following his inquiries, he asked senior Working Links executives to ask police to launch a criminal inquiry into some allegations. (if this isnt systemic.. I don't know what is?)
I didnt know this. Ernst and Young investigated a4e.
ReplyDeleteWorking Links was established in 2000 by the Shareholder Executive, Manpower, and Ernst & Young Consulting. Ernst & Young Consulting merged with Gemini Consulting, a branch of Cap Gemini, to form Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Cap Gemini Ernst & Young was renamed Capgemini in 2004. The charity Mission Australia acquired a share of the company in 2006, rendering Working Links the first public, private and voluntary organisation in the UK