UPDATE WEDNESDAY, 1.45pm: Bendigo Kangan Institute and V/Line have both responded to an order they appear before the state’s corruption watchdog this month.
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A V/Line spokeswoman said last night they were aware of IBAC’s Operation Lansdowne hearing, scheduled to begin on June 27.
“We take these matters very seriously and are cooperating fully with the commission,” the spokeswoman said, adding it was not appropriate to comment further at this time.
A spokeswoman from Bendigo Kangan Institute was similarly tight-lipped.
“Bendigo Kangan Institute is aware of the impending IBAC hearings to be held into Victoria’s education and training sector and we are cooperating fully with IBAC,” she said.
“We have no further comment at this stage.”
EARLIER: The state’s corruption watchdog will this month hear “serious” allegations against Bendigo Kangan Institute and V/Line.
The two regional Victorian bodies will front the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission from June 27.
An IBAC spokesperson today said the hearings would investigate whether Kangan officers misused their position to interfere with the awarding of qualifications.
Third party training agreements will also come under the microscope, as will V/Line’s process of recruitment and contractor engagement.
Furthermore IBAC will consider the sufficiency of V/Line processes to ensure public money is spent appropriately.
The hearings are part of IBAC’s Operation Lansdowne, which concerns allegations of serious corrupt conduct at Kangan, V/Line and South West Institute of TAFE.
Specifically the scope and purpose of the public examinations centre on the circumstances surrounding the awarding of qualifications to Taytell Pty Ltd director, Rebecca Taylor, by the two training providers.
The hearings will seek to determine whether Taytell, its officers or employees, adversely affected the honest performance of the functions of any public officers or public bodies, or intended to to do so in relation to the company’s third party training agreements with South West and Kangan.
They will also examine the circumstances surrounding payments made to Taytell in connection with its third party training agreements with South West and Kangan and the sufficiency of, and compliance with, systems and controls relating to third party training agreements entered into by South West and Kangan.
The allegations involving V/Line centre on the circumstances surrounding the recruitment of certain officers and engagement of certain contractors, including the identification and management of conflicts of interests, transparency and probity, the adequacy of, and compliance with, V/Line's recruitment and procurement procedures and the sufficiency of V/Line's systems and processes to ensure appropriate accountability for the expenditure of public money.
The hearings will be conducted by IBAC Commissioner, Mr Stephen O’Bryan QC.