KBR Connected to Vast Majority Of Fraud, Pentagon Auditor Says

[babylonsister]

KBR Connected to Alleged Fraud, Pentagon Auditor Says

By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 5, 2009



KBR, the Army's largest contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan, is linked to "the vast majority" of suspected combat-zone fraud cases that have been referred to investigators, as well as a majority of the $13 billion in "questioned" or "unsupported" costs, the Pentagon's top auditor said yesterday.

In testimony before the bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, April G. Stephenson, director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency, said investigators have sent to the inspector general a total of 32 cases of suspected overbilling, bribery and other violations since 2004.

"I don't think we're aware of a program, contract or contractor that has had this number of suspensions or referrals," Stephenson said. KBR's work accounts for 43 percent of the Pentagon's audited Iraq contracting dollars, according to the agency's data.

Stephenson's disclosures come as the Pentagon prepares to draw down forces in Iraq, requiring major support from contractors, while ramping up reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Lawmakers are pushing the government to introduce more competition in its procurement programs.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/04/AR2009050403283.html

[KansDem]

1. Just what did we expect would happen?

When the former CEO of Halliburton becomes the vice-president of a corrupt, war-mongering administration, it stands to reason he would use his position to award billions of dollars in no-bid contracts to his former corporation and its subsidiaries.

I remember thinking "What's a 'no-bid' contract?" I remember thinking "Are no-bid contracts legal? Ethical?" I remember thinking, "No-bid contracts sound like they lack transparency and are ripe for corruption."

I think we all on DU knew this would happen...

[malaise]

2. Bingo

Check Cheney's off shore accounts