Investigation summaries

IBAC received information alleging that a member of the public had offered bribes to employees of Greater Melbourne Cemetery Trust (GMCT) in return for allocating a grave site at a particular cemetery. It was alleged that one staff member facilitated the transaction and accepted money from the member of the public.

Outcome

Following the investigation, IBAC concluded there was no evidence that the GMCT employee had accepted money to facilitate the grave purchase.

However, in the course of the investigation IBAC found potential corruption vulnerabilities, including:

• high demand for grave sites (a limited resource) is a contributory factor for bribery attempts, and is likely to continue to be an issue for GMCT
• potential under-reporting of offers of gifts, benefits and hospitality. 

IBAC made a recommendation to GMCT to review and strengthen its policies and procedures to address the vulnerabilities identified.

IBAC publishes responses to our recommendations in order to inform the community about actions agencies advise they are taking, and to share learnings that may help other agencies improve their systems and practices.