KPMG operating CIG whistleblower hotline overseas

| 19/06/2017 | 24 Comments

(CNS): The Cayman islands government has contracted local consulting firm KPMG to operate a new whistleblowing hotline overseas to allow people to report fraud, corruption and conflicts relating to public sector or private sector entities and people doing business with government. Described by officials as “a vital step in implementation of the new Anti-Fraud Policy”, the service can be used by anyone in the Cayman Islands or overseas to report wrongdoing safely and anonymously. 

The toll-free tip line number is 1-800-534-1111 and all calls will be monitored and answered overseas by KPMG-trained operators, officials said in a release.

The whistleblower hotline comes against the backdrop of other anti-fraud developments. Government officials said a code of business ethics and conduct policy is being developed, which was described as “a general guide to acceptable and appropriate behaviour for civil servants”.

The policy on offering and receiving hospitality, entertainment and gifts, as well as the records and information management standard, which governs records and information management and defines the manner and timing for disposing of documents, are also included, the government added.

Tipsters who want to call in to the new hotline to report corruption will receive a tracking number, which has to be mentioned should the person wish to re-contact the toll-free number for updates. Claims can also be sent by email to fraud@kpmg.co.za.

More information can be found on the Anti-Fraud Policy website here.

Leaders behind the policy said the whistleblowers who use these platforms will have complete anonymity and will therefore be protected.

At the same time, all claims or allegations made will be investigated by the Internal Audit Service, but the authorities said they “strongly discourage frivolous or malevolent tips”.

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Category: Crime Prevention, Government oversight

Comments (24)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I know when that hotline bling – that can only mean one thing!

    CIG used to call me on my cell phone…

  2. Anonymous says:

    Just read the first sentence of the Introduction of the “Fraud Risk Policy” on page 4/15.

    “This CORPORATE FRAUD POLICY is established to facilitate the development of controls that will aid in the detection and prevention of FRAUD AGAINST THE CAYMAN ISLANDS GOVERNMENT…”

    Caps for major points of emphasis. This isn’t a whistleblower mechanism to point fingers at the government… how convenient.

    If I am mistaken please clarify but this is of almost no assistance to the citizens of Cayman, albeit indirect assistance by protecting our wonderful leaders and the coffers.

    A for effort D for execution.

    Next time the CI gov tries to mandate policies on others perhaps it would be best to explore the concept of transparency.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You are mistaken. Fraud against the Cayman Islands Government is just another way of saying fraud committed by those in employ of the Cayman Islands Government.

      CIG as an entity is presumed to operate in an ethical, non-fraudulent manner. Therefore acts of fraud or other unethical acts committed by agents of the government (employees) are acts of fraud against the government.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Hold my beer while I blow the s**t out of this whistle!

  4. Anonymous says:

    This is scandalous. Who comes up with these harebrained schemes?
    Just follow the money trail I guess?
    Sigh. Business as usual where the flock get fleeced.
    This government runs like a mega-church in the US.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Has anyone else noticed how many Govt contracts KPMG has secured since Roy McTaggart (former Managing Partner of KPMG) became a member of govt?

    Just google KPMG and Cayman Government and count contracts for the last 4 years.

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    • Anonymous says:

      He is a former partner so it is not likely he will be sharing in the profits of these contracts. The Government had a contract with EY a few years back about Government privatisation and I think there was one with PWC about cruise ship facilities so not all business consulting contracts have been awarded to KPMG.

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    • Good Governance says:

      Pathetic. Your ignorance showing because most of these contract awards are made by tender committees at Ministry or Departments the committees are comprised civil servants … the political arm is completely outside the process.
      Crab in a barrel.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    If you phone the IRS and point out a tax dodger with a US passport then you can get a cut of the money they take. It is nice option if you have an ex-neighbor or colleague who blew up some petty complaint at the time of a PR or Status application.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    This is an excellent vehicle for bad minded individuals. In general, Caymanian people are their own worst enemy, they do not think twice about slandering one another, and are envious and very jealous of each other whether it be a persons home, career, what they drive or otherwise. Foreigners come here and exploit this bad mindedness to their own advantage and lack of unity amongst us. We seem to have gotten an extra dose of this black crab in the barrel mentality and Caymanians need to realise that this is caused by colonialism who still use the divide and conquer tactics. Even the highest levels of the Civil Service are no exception to this mentality.

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  8. Bill says:

    Another great improvement in CIG. We have fortunate to have a civil service that has learned from previous mistakes and refuse to bury their hands in the sands but instead is tackling corruption and fraud head on.

    I can’t remember the last time I saw a house cleaning like what’s happening now in the civil service.

    This should have happened long ago. But I’m thankful it’s happening now.

    So many civil servants have commented to me that finally accountability is improving in the civil service.

    Thank you.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Is this sarcasm? Where are the dismissals and/or arrests? Where are the published ministry/department financials? Let’s not be too easily wooed by the illusion of compliance.

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    • Sharkey says:

      Say those words in a year or so. I think that you’re going to regret saying them. Money is the root of all evils with some people.

    • annonymous says:

      Nonsense. This shouldn’t be what it takes.

      Day in and out slack lazy CS are reported and sadly some are not reported. Yet they remain in positions only to continue to do nothing, or to be demoted to an easier position with the same pay.

      Others in their unit are then asked or expected to step up and cover the individuals slackness when the employee should be fired after sufficient warning.

      Unfortunately this is a cycle that repeats itself constantly. CO’s are made aware but some will not rock the boat and do what is right.

      These lazy incompetent CS, constantly make the decent hardworking ones get tarnish with the same brush. They should be fire because many of them are useless and will never change no matter how you try to work with them.

      They have this entitlement attitude and does better for only a period then repeats the same crap again and again.

      It seriously ticks me off as a fellow co worker.

  9. Sharkey says:

    I think that it’s so disgracefully impeccable wrong that the program has to be done overseas and partially handled on the Islands.

    The whistle blowing program, and the Crime Hot Line, the people needs to have the confidence and trust of these programs to work effectively.

    What is the reasons why part of the program has to be done overseas? Is it to keep information private? Then we have the investigation done on the Islands. Then there goes the confidentiality of the witness. Then the same could go for the Crime Hot Line.

    If we can’t learn to have honesty and integrity in privacy of handling this kind of information, then none of these programs would work.

    Just think of the money that it’s going to cost the Taxpayer and what else could go on with part of the program being overseas.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    This will not change anything. We will continue to have the least corrupt Government and Civil Service of almost any country. Just look at the number of prosecutions over the last three decades.

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    • East End Resident says:

      Hahahaha, yes the lack of prosecutions must certainly prove that the civil service is entirely honest and trustworthy.

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      • Anonymous says:

        You got it, my comment was tongue in cheek, but judging by the many dissenters, they did NOT get it!.

  11. Anonymous says:

    I guess the South African email address is because they have the most experience with government corruption.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    I hope this encourages more people to report corruption in local businesses and organizations.
    But more importantly, I hope these reports are taken seriously by the Internal Audit Service.
    There needs to be much more transparency within the government and I hope this is a step forward to get there.

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