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Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Page: 4220

Defence: Credit Card Breaches

(Question No. 911)


Mr Briggs asked the Minister for Defence, in writing, on 20 March 2012:

In respect of departmental credit card use in:

(a) 2008-09,

(b) 2009-10, and

(c) 2010-11:

(i) how many times has the use of a credit card breached departmental guidelines,

(ii) what was the dollar value of each breach, and what sum was repaid in each instance, and

(iii) were any employees disciplined for such breaches.


Mr Stephen Smith: The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

The Department of Defence's departmental guidelines state that 'an official must only use a Defence Credit Card to obtain cash, goods or services for official business of the Commonwealth'.

The Department of Defence investigates all credit card misuse, including accidental and intentional. In all cases appropriate disciplinary action such as counselling, issuing fines or formal sanctions are undertaken. In a small number of cases the employee resigned before action could be taken. The Department of Defence attempts to recover all funds.

Some data relating to debt recovery is unavailable, particularly in earlier years. This is due to a previous departmental process whereby the area undertaking the investigation, was not responsible for actual recovery. Since February 2011, the fraud recovery function has been centralised with Defence's Audit and Fraud Control Division. This new arrangement has seen an improvement in both the rate of recovery and the accuracy of recovery data.

The controls and detection strategies applicable to card misuse are effective and are becoming increasingly so with evidence that card misuse is being detected faster, with the number and dollar value of individual cases decreasing over time.

In 2008-09, the guidelines were breached 51 times, with a total value of $89,718.49.

dollar value of each breach

sum repaid

were any employees disciplined for such breaches

$9,320.00

^

yes

$275.91

^

yes

$13,500.00

^

yes

$4,080.00

$4,080.00

yes

$200.00

^

yes

$775.20

^

yes

$5,100.00

$5,100.00

yes

$816.00

$816.00

yes

$2,269.77

$2,269.77

employee resigned

$75.23

^

yes

$2,000.00

$2,000.00

yes

$400.00

^

yes

$122.10

$122.10

yes

$99.92

$99.92

yes

$816.00

$816.00

yes

$728.83

$728.83

employee resigned

$1,020.00

$1,020.00

yes

$2,304.14

^

no(1)

$632.37

^

no(2)

$1,828.00

^

yes

$123.66

$123.66

yes

$136.36

$136.36

yes

$147.18

$147.18

yes

$19.67

$19.67

yes

$90.65

$90.65

yes

$8.20

$8.20

yes

$8.20

$8.20

yes

$14.23

$14.23

yes

$94.02

$94.02

yes

$63.90

$63.90

yes

$1,000.00

$1,000.00

yes

$685.00

$685.00

yes

$1,674.00

$1,674.00

yes

$123.66

$123.66

yes

$400.00(3)

$400.00

yes

$50.00

$50.00

yes

$4,470.17(4)

$4,470.17

yes

$4,450.00(5)

^

yes

$3,799.49(6)

^

yes

$200.00

$200.00

yes

$3,100.00

$3,100.00

yes

$2,170.00

$2,170.00

yes

$7,950.00

$7,950.00

yes

$1,913.45

$1,913.45

yes

$306.18

$306.18

yes

$2,300.00

$2,300.00

yes

$2,276.00(7)

$2,276.00

yes

$3,955.00

$3,955.00

yes

$1,426.00

$1,426.00

yes

$400.00

$408.00

yes

$89,718.49

$52,166.15

 

 

(1) Insufficient evidence to determine liability

(2) Insufficient evidence to determine liability

(3) Includes 2 instances of misuse committed by one individual

(4) Includes 11 instances of misuse committed by one individual

(5) Includes 15 instances of misuse committed by one individual

(6) Includes 35 instances of misuse committed by one individual

(7) Includes 9 instances of misuse committed by one individual

(^) Information on amount recovered is unavailable

In 2009-10, the guidelines were breached 83 times, with a total value of $32,314.85.

dollar value of each breach

sum repaid

were any employees disciplined for such breaches

$547.96

$548.00

yes

$1,734.00

$2,000.00

yes

$1,800.00

^

yes

$600.00

$600.00

yes

$80.00

^

yes

$29.42

$29.42

yes

$2,728.06

^

yes

$1,275.36

$1,275.36

yes

$2,919.96

$2,950.00

yes

$300.00

$300.00

yes

$1,000.00

$1,020.00

yes

$193.00

$193.00

yes

$800.00

$818.00

yes

$306.00

$306.00

yes

$600.00

$600.00

yes

$16.93

$16.93

yes

$29.40

$29.40

yes

$24.70

$24.70

yes

$1.65

$1.65

yes

$226.35

$226.35

yes

$227.46

$227.46

yes

$30.83

$30.83

yes

$320.55

$320.55

yes

$14.20

$14.20

yes

$53.30

$60.00

yes

$118.86

$118.86

yes

$261.45

$261.45

yes

$130.00

$130.00

yes

$453.62

$453.62

yes

$12.00

$12.00

yes

$81.00

$81.00

yes

$307.16

$307.16

yes

$252.96

$252.96

yes

$41.50

$41.50

yes

$0.50

$0.50

yes

$1.50

$1.50

yes

$284.07

$284.07

yes

$193.00

$193.00

yes

$3.60

$3.60

yes

$50.80

$50.80

yes

$40.00

$40.00

yes

$40.00

$40.00

yes

$57.74

$57.74

yes

$131.70

$131.70

yes

$11.70

$11.70

yes

$0.75

$0.75

yes

$16.50

$16.50

yes

$139.00

$139.00

yes

$270.00

$270.00

yes

$108.00

$108.00

yes

$10.00

$10.00

yes

$104.00

$104.00

yes

$275.00

$275.00

yes

$81.00

$81.00

yes

$348.00

$348.00

yes

$60.00

$60.00

yes

$30.00

$30.00

yes

$7,000.00

$7,000.00

yes

$17.54

$17.54

yes

$233.00

$233.00

yes

$105.05

$105.05

yes

$128.00

$128.00

yes

$355.00

$355.00

yes

$739.00

$739.00

yes

$33.99

$33.99

yes

$200.00

$200.00

yes

$2,112.00

$2,112.00

yes

$30.00

$30.00

yes

$185.00

$185.00

yes

$294.65

$294.65

yes

$45.35

$45.35

yes

$142.73

$142.73

yes

$450.00

$450.00

yes

$85.70

$85.70

yes

$75.50

$75.50

yes

$34.30

$34.30

yes

$124.95

$124.95

yes

$42.85

$42.85

yes

$66.80

$66.80

yes

$38.90

$38.90

yes

SGD166

SGD166

yes

USD46.4

USD46.4

yes

USD111.79

US111.79

yes

$32,314.85*

$28,047.57*

 

 

(*) Total does not include foreign currency

(^) Information on amount recovered is unavailable

In 2010-11, the guidelines were breached 91 times, with a total value of $37,138.10.

dollar value of each breach

sum repaid

were any employees disciplined for such breaches

$614.00

^(1)

yes

$4,382.50

$4,382.50

yes

$2,500.00

$2,549.75

yes

$240.24

$284.07

yes

$204.57

$204.57

yes

$310.00

$310.00

yes

$382.44

$382.44

yes

$20.00

^

yes

$275.00

$275.00

yes

$1,941.50

$1,941.50

yes

$3,236.36

$3,236.36

yes

$3,700.00

$3,700.00

yes

$303.35

^

yes

$1,000.00

$1,000.00

yes

$1,000.00

^

yes

$13.00

$13.00

yes

$35.62

$35.62

yes

$126.37

$126.37

yes

$38.74

$38.74

yes

$84.48

$84.48

yes

$15.97

$15.97

yes

$13.23

$13.23

yes

$64.05

$64.05

yes

$20.61

$20.61

yes

$175.85

$175.85

yes

$562.30

$562.30

yes

$40.00

$40.00

yes

$110.00

$110.00

yes

$46.31

$46.31

yes

$4.00

$4.00

yes

$19.00

$19.00

yes

$2.50

$2.50

yes

$57.00

$57.00

yes

$43.00

$43.00

yes

$63.35

$63.35

yes

$23.10

$23.10

yes

$45.00

$45.00

yes

$179.50

$179.50

yes

$3,000.00

$1,500.00

yes

$300.00

$300.00

yes

$884.27

$884.27

yes

$50.99

$50.99

yes

$20.00

$20.00

yes

$122.78

$122.78

yes

$393.55

$393.55

yes

$393.55

$393.55

yes

$41.50

$41.50

yes

$37.15

$37.15

yes

$100.00

$100.00

yes

$100.00

$100.00

yes

$999.00

$999.00

yes

$7.00

$7.00

yes

$24.00

$24.00

yes

$45.37

$45.37

yes

$141.85

$141.85

yes

$202.50

$202.50

yes

$5.50

$5.50

yes

$794.66

$794.66

yes

$245.70

$245.70

yes

$275.00

$275.00

yes

$41.82

$41.82

yes

$460.65

$460.65

yes

$133.25

$133.25

yes

$43.00

$43.00

yes

$56.70

$56.70

yes

$50.00

$50.00

yes

$130.00

$130.00

yes

$4.31

$4.31

yes

$16.00

$16.00

yes

$21.00

$21.00

yes

$286.00

$286.00

yes

$80.87

$80.87

yes

$13.30

$13.30

yes

$43.00

$43.00

yes

$144.74

$144.74

yes

$3,064.00

^

no(2)

$44.29

$44.29

yes

$30.00

$30.00

yes

$53.50

$53.50

yes

$155.42

$155.42

yes

$15.95

$15.95

yes

$30.00

$30.00

yes

$40.74

$40.74

yes

$43.29

$43.29

yes

$97.55

^

employee resigned

$93.50

$93.50

yes

$78.00

$78.00

yes

$193.00

$193.00

yes

$1,211.00

$1,211.00

yes

$35.00

$35.00

yes

$350.91

$350.91

yes

$37,138.10

$30,632.78

 

 

(1) Property obtained through credit card was recovered

(2) Card was stolen

(^) Information on amount recovered is unavailable