Porridge for Ofcom IT boss in £500k software fraud
Jurgen Whitehouse, IT services boss at Ofcom, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison yesterday for defrauding the telecoms regulator out of more than half-a-million quid. Royal Navy veteran Whitehouse, 37, of Welling, Kent, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's …
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Page?
"Royal Navy veteran Whitehouse"
Isn't Lewis a Royal Navy veteran? I would keep a close eye on the petty cash tin and beer money pot in The Reg offices if I were you.
Next month's news: Ofcom deluged by dodgy invoices
> he realised that invoices were being paid without equipment being delivered
It's a well-known scam (particularly during the summer, when the single proficient person in a company is on holiday) to send bogus invoices/final demands to companies on the off-chance. I wonder how many other scammers got a nice little pay out due to Ofcom's slack and sloppy administration.
(and I wonder how many millions more they'll get after reading that they don't bother checking them)
deterrent ?
"This sentence will hopefully serve as a deterrent to others who are similarly tempted to abuse their positions of responsibility."
I'm sure that there are a few people who would happily do 2.5 years of rent-free, living with free food / internet & X-boxen for 500k. Especially since he only has to serve half of it if he is bad, and if good, even less with parole. You would be able to get out early to spend the money!
What money?
"Whitehouse has since paid back much of the £522,123 he stole". You can be sure that the police will be using the POCA to go after the rest of it.
Government Governance
"Whitehouse had started by using his own company to save Ofcom money "
Amazing. I bet this happens all over the Civil Service as well as the QUANGOs.
So who is going to get fired ?
Not all Quangos
Not in my Quango. Some Quangos _are_ run by disciplined and competent people. Admitedly not all of them.
And not the Civil Servents either
It'll be independent consultants and business people brought in by the world class management hired externally, over whom there is very little control. Lots of senior positions are held by consultants on paid through their personal companies.
In fact most normal company employees are not permitted to be directors or to work for multiple companies by their contracts without permission. No sane organisation would allow an employee to work for a supplier or competitor.
These restrictions however don't apply to contract staff.
Unbelievable
That the head of IT of a Civil Service department can be allowed to flog hardware and software licenses to his department like he is a private company. This is totally unethical. The fact that he was caught because he had got them to pay for licenses and hardware they never received is besides the point.
This looks like very poor management by OFCOM .
A shining example of our way of life
What a greedy dishonest bustard. Had a top job probably paying 100k plus but was still greedy for more.
Typical OFCOM.
They can't manage anyone - not even themselves.
hardly surprising...
When the safe is open, even an honest man will steal. Don't condone what he did but not surprised that it happened if the processes are that sloppy.
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