IBAC charges three over Ultranet scandal

The Victorian government’s corruption watchdog has charged three former executives over their alleged involvement in the Department of Education's failed Ultranet project.

The Independent Broad-based Commission Against Corruption (IBAC) said in a statement today that charges had been laid following its “extensive” investigation codenamed Operation Dunham into the collaborative intranet project.

It has been looking into the project since 2014, and early last year found the procurement process behind the project “corrupt”.

The probe uncovered a network of senior education officials and software salespeople that allegedly used Ultranet as a testbed to commercialise the software and licence it worldwide.

It also found the project could have cost anywhere between $127 million and $240 million – more than double its original budget of $60.5 million back in November 2006.

IBAC said that the three people charged included "a former managing director and CEO, a former group general manager of technology solutions, and a former Department of Education and Training deputy secretary - have each been charged with five counts of obtaining property by deception."

"The former Department of Education and Training deputy secretary has also been charged with one count of misconduct in public office," IBAC said in a statement.

"The three have been summoned to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on July 3".

None of the three were named by IBAC, but CSG has since confirmed to iTnews' sister title CRN that CSG CEO and managing director Julie-Ann Kerin is one of the three charged.

In a separate statement, CSG denied any wrongdoing and said it "fully supports the managing director and CEO in the defence of the charges".

The laying of charges followed months of talks between IBAC and the state's Office of Public Prosecutions.