A senior public servant who perpetrated one of the biggest rorts of taxpayer funds in recent Australian history jacked up his corporate credit card limit and started charging for fake services within two days of being hired.
Key points:
- Paul Whyte began deceiving his bosses almost as soon as he began work
- Departmental credit cards were not meant to be used for procurement
- Whyte had worked with his new boss Graham Searle at Landgate
Paul Ronald Whyte late last year pleaded guilty to stealing $27 million from the WA Department of Communities, in part by invoicing a company for work never provided on his corporate credit card.
His old boss, former Department of Housing director general Graham Searle on Wednesday appeared at a rare public hearing by the Corruption and Crime Commission.
The commission is examining how a person in such a senior position as Whyte was able to systematically defraud the state to such an extent and whether the governance of the department had contributed to or enabled it.
Mr Whyte reported directly to Mr Searle.
The day after Mr Whyte was hired as the general manager of commercial and business operations in October 2009, he applied for the limit on his corporate credit card to be increased from $20,000 to $50,000 per month, the commission heard.
He also requested the individual transaction limit be jacked up from $5,000 to $20,000.
Mr Searle…
