New information has been released on the PWC Office of Information Technology bid rigging scandal in today’s Washington Post. Apparently the story grows day by day.
The Washington Post quotes that 3 employees have been fired and that the amount of money involved in the embezzlement is $9 million. That is a huge amount of money at a time when we can least afford to lose a dime.
The FBI is involved because about $90,000 in funds tied to this wrong-doing is federal grant money. Corey Stewart reveals:
Investigators are looking into “massive false billings,” bid-rigging and collusion between county employees and outside vendors, said Corey A. Stewart (R), chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. He said the FBI is involved because about $90,000 in federal grants were allegedly tied into the scheme.
Stewart further elaborated:
At least two local vendors are involved, Stewart said. A former county employee who left public service in January last year has been implicated with the three employees who were recently terminated, he said.
According to the Washington Post:
Maneesh Gupta, former assistant chief information officer, was one of the terminated employees and has been a target of the investigation, sources said. Gupta — who at times served as a contract manager — oversaw the office’s purchase orders, time sheets and invoices, all documents used to track the office’s expenses and services.
“I’m disgusted at the lack of oversight and mismanagement,” Stewart said. “If it is true that one person was in charge of all three oversight functions, then that is clearly mismanagement.”
So the finger-pointing by the county chair begins. It was only a matter of time. Instead of focusing on those who were greedy and embezzled, it appears that the ugly M word is surfacing: Mismanagement.
The Chairman’s insinuations at this point are very predictable. If one looks back at what was written on BVBL several weeks ago, we could all see this coming. If I were a bookie, I know who I would be placing my bets on as a scapegoat.
The Chairman is right to want to get to the bottom of this crime. Those who committed crime should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. However, when words like ‘mismanagement’ start to be thrown around, he points back to himself. Are he and the other supervisors not responsible ultimately for what happens in the county?
