MINISTER for Justice Michael Keenan says the Coalition Government has formally established a Fraud and Anti-Corruption (FAC) Centre located in the Australian Federal Police (AFP) headquarters. He says it marks a new era in the approach to dealing with fraud and corruption at a federal level.
The FAC Centre brings together the Australian Taxation Office, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Australian Crime Commission, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Department of Human Services, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Department of Defence, and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in order to assess, prioritise and respond to serious fraud and corruption matters.
“The FAC Centre has been designed to triage and evaluate serious and complex fraud and corruption referrals to deliver an effective Commonwealth multi-agency response when serious concerns are raised,” Michael said.
“The FAC Centre will be resourced by the AFP, with partner agencies all contributing seconded members with relevant areas of expertise. It will deliver whole-of-government fraud training through a joint training team.
“AFP FAC investigation teams are also based in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide. They will investigate serious and complex fraud, corruption and foreign bribery matters, including identity crimes.
“Partner agencies will work to prioritise the most effective and appropriate investigative response to allegations of fraud and corruption matters. This will ensure that serious fraud and anti-corruption issues are dealt with in the most effective manner.
“We are proud of Australia’s position and reputation – consistently ranked by Transparency International as one of the least corrupt countries in the world. This announcement further enhances our ability to prevent and respond to serious fraud and corruption at the Commonwealth level.”
["Michael Keenan" by Attorney-General's Department - http://www.ag.gov.au/About/Pages/AttorneyGeneralandMinister.aspx. Licensed under CC-BY-3.0-au via Wikimedia Commons.]
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