Summary:
Legal experts are uncertain whether Australia’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), due to launch in July, will be able to investigate the ongoing scandal at consulting firm PwC. While there are increasing demands for an investigation into the misuse of confidential government information by PwC to benefit clients, Geoffrey Watson from the Centre for Public Integrity, Australia’s leading anti-corruption think tank, has highlighted potential technicalities that might hinder an investigation. The NACC is empowered to investigate corruption involving public officials and “contracted service providers”, but it’s unclear if the PwC executive involved qualifies under these terms. Watson also highlights the potential issue of consultative services being provided free of charge, which further complicates the definition of a contractor. Transparency and integrity are paramount as Australia works towards combating corruption, and the role of the NACC will be key in maintaining public trust.
This summary comes from The Guardian, was written by Henry Belot, and can be found here.