MELBOURNE, Aug 4 AAP - A Victorian public servant who admits manipulating the tendering of millions of dollars in building contracts for his own benefit says his department should have stopped him.
Suspended Public Transport of Victoria employee Barry Wells says he and former colleague Albert Ooi were generally able to give out contracts to whomever they wanted.
Mr Wells and Mr Ooi have been accused of gaining a total of $3 million through the awarding of contracts to companies they owned or were linked to, in exchange for cash and gifts.
Mr Wells, who had previously denied receiving payments and favours, told an anti-corruption hearing that he knew that giving work to certain companies meant he would receive a share of the profits.
"I am as responsible for what's happened as Mr Ooi," Mr Wells told the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) on Monday.
"I think there's a term they use that there's no honour among thieves."
Mr Wells said he was surprised his superiors in the department had not noticed the misallocations.
"We did so much work, we churned things out, their budgets were always under, that type of thing," he said.
"I know that's not a good answer, but they would assume that everything was rosy. But obviously they should have done something."
Mr Wells said he was concerned about getting caught when it came to light that Mr Ooi's son had been receiving consultancy work.
"Had there been a different process of finance this would have brought up the alarm bells and this would have been all over," Mr Wells said.
Mr Wells said when his house was searched earlier this year, he told an associate that "we're in the s***".
"I just said, you know, it'd come to light with the department. He fully would have understood what I was talking about," he said.
The search of Mr Wells home uncovered more than $36,500 in cash stashed in a freezer, the hearing was told.
At the time Mr Wells said the money was gambling windfalls, but now says that explanation was not correct.
The Operation Fitzroy hearing continues.
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