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Government Contractor Fraud
In the Iraqi reconstruction quarterly audit, special inspector general Stuart Bowen, Jr. paints a picture of misappropriated funds, wasted money, and fraudulent activities. Among the violations noted in the report are $36.4 million worth of weapons that remain unaccounted for and $43.8 million spent on an Iraqi Police training facility that has been completed for months yet remains unoccupied. Political favoritism is seen in the VIP trailers and Olympic sized swimming pools that have been buit for Members of The Iraqi Ministry of the Interior without authorizaion form the United States.
According to an article from the Boston Herald, lawmakers plan to address this disturbing pattern of fraud. Large U.S. corporations are illegally profiting form the war. Halliburton is currently under investigation for overcharging on a $7 billion wartime contract. According to the Associated press, the U.S. Army is threatening to partially withhold payments to Halliburton for the logistical support the company provides for troops in Iraq. The reason: allegations of millions of dollars in over-charges for food, shelter and services. Documents obtained by CBS News show an auditor repeatedly flagged improper fees for soldiers' laundry.
At one site, taxpayers reportedly paid $100 for each 15-pound load of wash - $1 million a month in overcharges. Halliburton insists it doesn't waste money, it saves it. But overcharging is the subject of one federal investigation and there are separate probes for alleged bribery and kickbacks.
People with information regarding government fraud are able to file suit under the qui tam provision of the whistleblower act which permits private citizens to file suit on behalf of the United States to recover damages incurred by the federal government as a result of contractor fraud or other false claims.
In return for filing the suit, the whistleblower is entitled to a significant portion of the proceeds, should they prevail.
The whistleblower can obtain a large monetary award if he follows the “complex” procedures set forth in the FCA when seeking to enforce the anti-fraud law. In many cases, a company is not allowed to retaliate against an employee for disclosing the information. If retaliation does occur, whistleblowers are cautioned not to delay investigation of their possible legal remedies, as many of the laws have very short time limits.
If you would like to speak to an attorney regarding reporting Halliburton or other governmental abuse or fraud, or are are interested in learnging about your rights, including, a percentage of the recovery for "whistleblowing" you should contact an attorney immediately. Please click on the link below for a free evaluation of your claim.
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