Ganesh Sahathevan

by Ganesh Sahathevan In 2015 the then Abbott Government ,and its Minister for Employment Eric Abetz(photo above) launched its JobActive initiative which Abetz  described as   "game changing"  . The experience of job seekers has been not quite that, with reports of so called "job service providers" lodging false claims to meet Abetz's targets. This is not to surprising, given that JobActive contracts have been handed to companies led by persons with no experience in job placement.   Worse, there is now evidence that the tender process for these contracts , handled by the Department of Employment and its Secretary Renee Leon, was itself tainted by the Department awarding a contract to a corporate shell that was meant to be a JV of a number of not for profit organizations wanting to enter the placement market. The Department and Ms Leon  accepted a bid from a company called Olympus Solutions Ltd, which was , when the tender was submitted and the contract awarded, a...

Re-posting this story from last year given this recent development 'Wolf of Wall Street' Financier Challenges U.S. Government's 1MDB Seizures by Ganesh Sahathevan  PM Najib and other ministers, including the AG ,the Very Learned Apandi, have claimed that  the US DOJ seizure of Riza Aziz and friends' assets will be resolved in their favour , when the matter goes to court. To quote Najib: And those people who are involved will have their right to say through the court process in the United States, That process, explained in the earlier story on this blog, will require Riza & co to  "  to  show cause why forfeiture should not be decreed ". In order to do so Riza in particular is likely to require Najib to substantiate  in a US court  this statement issued on his behalf to the New York Times when it reported in detail Riza's US real estate holding :  The prime minister’s office said, “Neither any money spent on travel, nor any jewelry purchases, n...

by Ganesh Sahathevan These statements at the end of the indictment seem to have been (purposefully?) ignored by Malaysian PM Najib, AG Very Learned Apandi, and a whole slew of others who may well be deemed co-conspirators in the 1 MDB theft: WHEREFORE, plaintiff United States of America prays that :  (a) due process issue to enforce the forfeiture of the Defendant Asset;  ( b) due notice be given to all interested parties to appear and show cause why forfeiture should not be decreed;  (c) this Court decree forfeiture of the Defendant Asset to the United States of America for disposition according to law; and  (d) for such other and further relief as this Court may deem just and proper, together with the costs and disbursements of this action.  In layman's terms, Riza Aziz and others interested in the  Defendant Asset ie the "Wolf of Wall Street" , must, if they so wish, come to court and explain why the forfeiture should not be granted ie that their source...

by Ganesh Sahathevan In response to the US DOJ's 1 MDB asset seizure, the Government of Singapore has responded with  threats of stern action against StanChart, UBS and DBS ,carefully avoiding any reference to Falcon Bank and AMBank,  the banks involved in the transaction of the greatest interest, the transactions involving the person described in the US DOJ indictment  as Malaysian Official 1. The description of Malaysian Official 1 leaves little doubt that he is in fact Malaysian PM Najib Razak:  28. MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL 1 is a high-ranking official in the Malaysian government who also held a position of authority with 1MDB. During all times relevant to the Complaint, MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL 1 was a “public official” as that term is used in 18 U.S.C. § 1956(c)(7)(B)(iv) and a “public servant” as that term is used in Section 21 of the Malaysian Penal Code.  29. Riza Shahriz Bin Abdul AZIZ (“AZIZ”), a Malaysian national, is a relative of MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL 1 and a fri...

by Ganesh Sahathevan It has been previously reported that Singapore, UK and US regulators could impose fines and other sanctions against Malaysia's AMBank, as a means of punishing Malaysia's leadership for the consequences of the 1 MDB scandal (see story below). This writer is now aware that  this option is  being  seriously considered ,and that in the process Singapore's MAS in particular may impose fines and sanctions against ANZ as well as AMBank ANZ has significant branch and wholesale banking operations in Singapore, but in the scheme of things, is  probably less important to Singapore's national interest compared to Falcon ,with its Middle East and petrodollar connections  and UBS, in which the Singapore Government has a significant stake. These include the investment by the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation , which in 2007  invested some S$ 14 billion in UBS .The utlra-secret GIC suffered very significant losses on that investment duri...

by Ganesh Sahathevan Centerlink and the Department of Human Services (DHS) have relayed Centrelink client details to a JobActive subcontractor Ability Options, which is excluded from any privacy provisions.In some instances Centrelink has compelled clients to provide that information. Ability Options acts as some type of subcontractor for Olympus Solutions Ltd, a JobActive contractor, awarded that contract by the Department of Employment (DEEWR). Job seekers sign Centrelink "Job Plans" that are managed, and signed in the name of Olympus ,the DHS, and Centrelink. Entering into a Job Plan is compulsory , so clients have no choice but to sign. The Job Plan makes reference to privacy issues, but nowhere in the "Job Plan" is Ability Options mentioned, and clients are not made aware of the arrangement between Olympus and Ability Options. That arrangement in  itself  maybe  illegal, and Ability is deflecting any blame to DEEWR Secretary Renee Leon. The Job Plan is used to...