An
Australian man accused of funnelling Aus$17.2 million ($17.8 million) in bribes
to a Vietnamese official and falsifying Malaysian accounts was charged
Wednesday over a banknotes scandal.
Clifford John Gerathy, 60, is the seventh Australian to be
charged over alleged bribery for contracts at currency company Securency, which
is partially owned by the nation's central bank.
"It will be alleged in court that the man facilitated
payments of Aus$17.2 million in commissions to an agent in Vietnam and
falsified accounts in relation to a contract in Malaysia," Australian
police said.
"Both alleged incidents relate to efforts to secure
banknote contracts on behalf of Securency."
He was charged with conspiracy to bribe a foreign public
official, which has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison or a Aus$1.1
million fine, and false accounting, for which he faces a top jail term of 10 years.
Police said they had filed further charges against Securency
and two men already before the court relating to "alleged bribes paid to
public officials in Malaysia and Vietnam" between 2001 and 2006 to secure
banknote contracts.
Investigations continued both in Australia and abroad,
officials added, with a dedicated team of 20 people working full-time and
significant government resources assigned to the case.
Seven Australians have now been charged, which has also
resulted in a corruption case against a former Malaysian central banker and a
businessman.
Securency produces polymer banknotes used in more than 30
countries, and its agents and those of fellow currency firm Note Printing
Australia are accused of paying kickbacks to public officials in Asia between
1999 and 2006.
Australian police have worked with Britain's Serious Fraud
Office, Malaysian authorities and Indonesian National Police on the case, which
has stretched as far as Nigeria.
Source : AFP
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