Qld: CMC won't have bar of credit rorts
By Paul Osborne
BRISBANE, Aug 29 AAP - Queensland's corruption watchdog has called for tougher corporatecredit card rules after council officials spent money on topless waitresses and a governmentexecutive paid for family outings.
The rorts were revealed in the Crime and Misconduct Commission's report, Answeringthe Charges, tabled in state parliament today.
The report said a mayor and seven senior officials of an unnamed regional council hadused corporate credit cards for payments to a topless bar, staff farewell functions, tipsand gifts for staff leaving the council.
Not only did much of the spending go without reimbursement but the council also ratifiedit in the knowledge it was private expenditure.
The report also said an unnamed state government chief executive officer used a corporatecredit card to pay for social outings for his family and the family members of his staff.
He reported on his expense claim that it was for official business and asked staffto corroborate his story.
The officer was charged with official misconduct but was only disciplined because ofhis previously unblemished record.
The report, by CMC misconduct prevention officers Ray Bange and Sharon Hayes, saidwhile a number of card use policies existed, changes were needed.
Not tightening the areas of documentation, training, verification, reporting of misuseand acting on allegations could leave the system "open to potential fraud and misuse ofofficial resources", the report said.
Premier Peter Beattie said today the government had a tough code of conduct for theuse of credit cards and breaches were minimal.
Mr Beattie said out of 285,000 transactions worth $50 million in the past year therewere only 44 breaches, many of which were unintentional, such as late lodgement of records.
AAP pjo/sc/cjh/bwl
KEYWORD: CREDIT QLD
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