Press Release

The announcement by the head of the Australian Federal Police inquiry into the Australian Wheat Board Oil-For-Food scandal that he was offered a promotion if he shut down the investigation suggests that the AWB and its corrupt officials, continue to enjoy the protection of the Government from the law, long after the exposure of one of the greatest corporate scandals in history, according to former PGA Western Graingrowers Chairman Leon Bradley.

“That AWB officials knew that they were effectively above the law and would be shielded by Government was the major contributor to their systematic malfeasance,” Mr Bradley said.

“If former senior AFP agent Ross Fusca statements are correct, it seems that the recommendations of the Cole Royal Commission have not been followed with proportionate vigor, nor have the losses incurred by wheat growers compelled to supply export wheat to the Government’s exclusive and favored wheat exporter been diligently investigated as well.”

“PGA Western Graingrowers estimate the amounts misappropriated from the wheat pools were multiples of the amounts defrauded from the oil for food fund.”

“However the Government continues to withhold key reports on the performance of AWB’s wheat chartering and commodity hedging performance from growers.”

“In the interest of justice, transparency and good governance we call on the Government and the Opposition to expedite the release of all relevant documents that may have affected growers’ proceeds from the wheat pools and commission an independent forensic audit of the performance of the AWB pools.”

“If the Government is not prepared to undertake proper scrutiny of the former AWB, wheat growers themselves are surely entitled to investigate the evidence which is being withheld.”