A former senior NSW Health employee has been found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct after an investigation uncovered fake qualifications, false job references and the awarding of work to family members.
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, known as ICAC, released its findings on Friday following an investigation into the conduct of former NSW Health director of engineering and asset management Zoran Ribicic.
ICAC found that Ribicic had engaged in serious corrupt conduct over a number of years and said relevant evidence would be referred to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration of potential fraud offences.
Ribicic held the senior NSW Health role between 2021 and 2024.
The corruption watchdog found that he had submitted false qualifications and references in applications for government positions over more than a decade.
The qualifications falsely claimed included university degrees and engineering credentials.
According to ICAC, several employers failed to detect the false information before hiring him for public sector roles.
The investigation also found Ribicic improperly awarded work to external contractors, including a company connected to his sister.
More than $275,000 was paid to the company by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District over a two-year period.
ICAC found that Ribicic favoured the company over competitors and failed to disclose the conflict of interest.
The investigation also examined allegations that contracts were divided into smaller amounts to avoid procurement processes and competitive oversight.
Ribicic had authority to approve contracts up to a particular financial threshold, and ICAC found work was allegedly broken into smaller packages that could be approved without the level of competition normally required for larger contracts.
The report also raised concerns about the possible consequences of a person without appropriate qualifications holding responsibility for important engineering and maintenance issues within the health system.
ICAC Commissioner Helen Murrell said the findings highlighted the importance of proper verification of qualifications and stronger controls around conflicts of interest.
The corruption watchdog has recommended improvements to recruitment, procurement and governance practices across public agencies.
ICAC said it would use the findings from the investigation to provide further education to government organisations.
The case has renewed attention on the processes used by public agencies to verify qualifications and monitor conflicts involving senior employees.
The referral to the Director of Public Prosecutions does not itself amount to a criminal conviction. Any decision about criminal charges will be made separately.
For NSW public agencies, however, the findings represent a significant warning about the risks created when recruitment and procurement controls fail to detect dishonest conduct.
