13 May 2015
The defense contractor investigated in 2012 after cellphone videos surfaced of its employees drunk and high on drugs in Afghanistan may have misused almost $135 million of U.S. taxpayer money, an audit finds.
washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-l…
The defense contractor investigated in 2012 after cellphone videos surfaced of its employees drunk and high on drugs in Afghanistan may have misused almost $135 million of U.S. taxpayer money, an audit finds.
washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-l…
A financial audit done on behalf of the independent Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) alleges Imperatis Corp, formerly Jorge Scientific Corp, couldn’t produce docs to show payments to a subcontractor were allowed under its contract w/ the Army
The IG report, released in April, said either Imperatis should produce the appropriate documents “to demonstrate that the costs invoiced and paid were allowable…” or refund the money to government.
McCaskill (D-Mo.) & Portman (R-Ohio), the ranking D and chairman, respectively, of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee on investigations, want a full briefing from the Army Contracting Command about its contracts w/ Imperatis, which totaled ~$1B
In a letter to the agency’s Commanding General Theodore Harrison, McCaskill & Portman highlighted the previous issues with the firm after which the Co. assured them it “had taken action to ensure that there was no further misconduct by Jorge Scientific employees in Afghanistan.”
“After allegations of frequent drug and alcohol abuse, bar brawls, and out-of-control parties among its employees in Afghanistan, this contractor is now facing additional scrutiny into its business practices to the possible tune of more than $130M,” McCaskill said.
The Army uses Imperatis to provide counterinsurgency intelligence training for Afghan security forces through its Legacy Easy Project. In 2012, two former employees filed a complaint that there was rampant use of drugs and alcohol by then-Jorge Scientific personnel in Afghanistan
They took cellphone video of wasted employees that they gave to ABC News, which first reported the story.
After that story broke, McCaskill wrote to Secretary of the Army John McHugh asking for a review of Jorge Scientific’s contracts.
After that story broke, McCaskill wrote to Secretary of the Army John McHugh asking for a review of Jorge Scientific’s contracts.
She received a response that the Army was looking into it, and had subsequent briefings. She was assured everyone involved had been fired and there would be more oversight.
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