Accounting firm KPMG is expected to be hauled before a federal inquiry to answer further questions about why one of its former employees stored printed copies of confidential Lendlease board documents in her locker and shared them with her colleagues to win audit contracts.
Under allegations raised in parliament earlier this year, partners at KPMG leaked client information and mishandled a whistleblower who raised the alarm.
In March, Labor senator Deborah O'Neil shared with parliament a whistleblower's allegations, which included that confidential board papers from Lendlease were used to support bids for major audit tenders for Westpac and Dexus.
KPMG had conducted an internal investigation into the claims but failed to substantiate misconduct. It has since engaged law firm Allens to conduct a new external investigation.
Since then, a host of partners at the firm, including CEO Andrew Yates and chairman Martin Sheppard, have resigned.
Former chief operating officer Eileen Hoggett, who was stood down last month, was sacked by the firm on Friday after the firm's new chief executive, John Sams, briefed staff that the firm had uncovered an email in which Ms Hoggett referred to keeping and sharing a printout of the confidential client papers in her locker.
The papers were used by Ms Hoggett and other partners to help KPMG win work, and confirm the serious allegation made by a whistleblower that this was happening, but whose complaint was dismissed by KPMG at the time.
Ms...
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