Senior Victorian public servants hid loss of up to $285m from Covid grants given to ineligible businesses
An investigation in Victoria, Australia, found that senior public servants covered up the loss of up to $285 million in Covid-19 support grants paid to ineligible businesses. The report describes a deliberate effort to withhold information from management.
Why it matters
Reveals systemic corruption and lack of transparency in pandemic-era government financial relief programs.
During the pandemic, the Victorian government spent an estimated $257m on support grants to 9,000 ineligible businesses. During the pandemic, the Victorian government spent an estimated $257m on support grants to 9,000 ineligible businesses. Victorian politics Senior Victorian public servants hid loss of up to $285m from Covid grants given to ineligible businesses Whistleblowers applauded as Ibac finds ‘decisions were made to withhold information about the magnitude of the loss’
Prefer the Guardian on Google Senior public servants in one state covered up losses suspected to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars arising from flawed Covid-19 business support payments, an investigation has found.
During the pandemic, the Victorian government spent an estimated $257m on support grants to 9,000 ineligible businesses.
An investigation by the integrity watchdog has found senior officials within the department responsible for making those payments covered up the extent of the losses from their managers.
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