Army lacks investigators to track down crooked contractors

[unhappycamper]

Double-billing. Bribes. Kickbacks. Military contracts are big targets for serious crimes — and there aren’t nearly enough investigators to catch them all.


Army lacks investigators to track down crooked contractors
By Richard Lardner, The Associated Press
European edition, Monday, June 16, 2007

FORT BELVOIR, Va. — Double-billing. Bribes. Kickbacks. Military contracts are big targets for serious crimes — and there aren’t nearly enough investigators to catch them all.

The Army’s contracting budget has exploded since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began — from $46 billion in 2002 to $112 billion in 2007. Yet the number of people who hunt down crooked companies has stayed about the same, according to research.

Army investigation chiefs said they need a dramatic increase in agents to fight contract fraud.

In combat zones, deals can be made quickly, often with foreign companies in countries where bribes are a routine part of doing business.

Yet to monitor those billions in contracts, just under 100 civilian agents are assigned to the Army Criminal Investigation Command’s procurement fraud office.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=55588

[underpants]

1. I wonder what the pay is like

I might just send them a resume

What could it hurt?

[izquierdista]

2. Track down?!?

What's to track? All you do is put out an RFQ, and they line up at the door waiting for another bucket of swill at the trough.

Seriously, if this isn't ripe for a sting type operation, like the kind the cops run when they call up everyone with outstanding warrants and tell them they have won a prize and they have to come to this address to collect, I don't know what is. You KNOW they won't pass up any opportunity to try to run another fraud past the government; this time though, the government needs to turn the tables and be ready when they come calling.