Here is another one for the "Snouts-in-trough" file. Good to see they're putting their special forces skills into effective use.
[h=1]Defence's 'bad apples' getting away with it: Senator[/h]http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/defences-bad-apples-getting-away-with-it-senator-20140826-108q7i.html
In one case, Defence is investigating the disappearance of files from a secure military archiving facility in Sydney, with the documents allegedly stolen to cover up the rorting of money from the regimental funds of an elite commando unit.
"I worry that there is a systemic problem, that there are inadequate safeguards in place to deal with this, that if there are any bad apples in Defence, it's much easier for them to get away with it." The defence department has launched an internal inquiry into suspected misappropriation of tax payer funds involving one or more members of the army's elite 2nd commando regiment. The suspected financial malfeasance was discovered after a confidential file detailing the use of regiment funds was removed- without approval - from defence department archives at Sydney's Randwick Barracks.
A group of DSTO technicians were "counselled" last month after they paid for a dinner in Adelaide - washed down with 29 bottles of wine - with a Commonwealth cards and then tried to claim meal allowances for the evening of the spread.
How many were there at the dinner?
But The Canberra Times understands that the boozy evening - when 14 public servants drank 29 bottles of wine were – had already been paid for with a Defence-issued credit card.
Almost 70,000 public servants and uniformed personnel working for the Defence Department and Australian Defence Force have access to cards which in total can rack expenses of more than half-a-billion-year.
But the use of credit cards by Defence personnel and public servants has made news in Canberra twice this month with both civilians and soldiers sacked or disciplined over unauthorised spending.