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back to article UK fraud squad bends over Serco, G4S for 'phantom crims' probe

The UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched a criminal investigation into contractors Serco and G4S after an audit allegedly suggested the companies were massively overcharging for the electronic tagging of offenders. Sources in government told The Guardian that the two firms billed Blighty for monitoring at least 18,000 …

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  1. MrMur

    Quick quiz..

    ...which two companies are most of the probation services going to be outsourced to? Just for fun.

    Incidentally, some probation staff are/were on strike about that very thing today.

    Wonder why.

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    1. Ian McNee
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      Re: Quick quiz..

      You, sir, are a dangerous communist and should probably join the People's Assembly Against Austerity!

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  2. Mephistro
    Happy

    WHAT???

    Private contractor companies robbing the government blind??? I'm totally shocked!!! What's the world coming to?

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  3. JaitcH
    FAIL

    3,000 of these turned out to be back in prison, out of the country, released or dead

    Serco and G4S aren't only to blame - they do have their reputations, as useless, to maintain - but also the government auditors who failed to detect these frauds for years.

    And will the government demand refunds with interest I wonder?

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 3,000 of these turned out to be back in prison, out of the country, released or dead

      With a fine on top as well hopefully! :)

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This could get funny..

    ... if the directors are sentenced to being tagged...

    :)

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  5. teebie

    "I have always put the interests of Serco first"

    Well, I have no difficulty in believing that sentence.

    Maybe throw in the words "short-term", to satisfy any pedants.

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    1. Mephistro
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      Thumb Up

      Re: "I have always put the interests of Serco first"

      Maybe throw in the words "short-term"...

      Totally agreed. It's about time that lawmakers start addressing this short-term vs. long-term discrepancy in big companies. A good first step would be to pay executive's bonuses using company stock and allowing the exec. to negotiate/sell said stock only after a given amount of time has passed, e.g. three years after the exec left the company. That would give said execs a strong motivation for caring about the company's future, instead of the current status quo, i.e. execs not giving a shit about the company as long as they can retire with a fat bonus+golden parachute.

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