Australia News:

Rise in fraud and misconduct investigations at embassies
Andrew Tillett,  February 21, 2011
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A GROWING number of Australian diplomats and foreigners working in Australian embassies are being investigated for fraud, corruption and criminal behaviour amid claims that officials have assaulted colleagues, stolen money and aided a kidnapping.

Documents released under freedom of information laws reveal the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's conduct and ethics unit has had a caseload increase in recent years.

The unit launched 39 formal investigations into suspected cases of misconduct and fraud in 2009-10, compared with 24 in 2008-09, and six in 2007-08. So far in 2010-11, 24 investigations have begun, with at least one unnamed complaint referred to the federal police.
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In many cases, the resignation of the accused staff member has been enough to close an investigation. Australian diplomats, locals working for the department and contractors have all come under the microscope. In one case that remains open, an Israeli allegedly stole $US40,000 while working at the Australian embassy in Tel Aviv.

The department investigated ''banking inconsistencies'' at the embassy and referred the case to local police to weigh up fraud charges. While the individual has since resigned, the department is considering civil action to recover the money.

Another probe led to an Australian diplomat being recalled from Jakarta last year after claims he assaulted his wife and a female co-worker. The diplomat was formally reprimanded and reassigned on his return to Australia.

A department spokesman said the increase in investigations reflected workers' greater awareness of their responsibility to raise issues of misconduct.

He said the department took misconduct very seriously and all claims were investigated promptly and treated initially as potential breaches of the Public Service Code of Conduct or Locally Engaged Staff Code of Conduct

(theage.com.au)

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