Procurement paperwork can be dry, but fake documents can cause very real damage.
When official names are misused, suppliers may end up paying the price before the truth catches up.
It has been claimed that the Department of Agriculture Department was being impersonated in fake procurement documents. Is this true?
Verdict:
TRUE
The Department of Agriculture (DOA) has denied issuing any physical government order documents or supply orders outside its official system.
The department said it views seriously complaints of fraud cases involving the alleged misuse of its name and officials' positions to produce forged government order documents,reported Bernama.
"The irresponsible party's cunning tactics were intended to deceive local supplier companies into providing supplies and services purportedly for departmental programmes.
"This fraudulent activity has resulted in a supplier company being deceived and incurring financial losses, while no official procurement was carried out by the department," the DOA said in a statement on Wednesday (July 1).
The department said the act constituted a serious crime with the clear intention of damaging its image and credibility, as well as that of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The DOA also stressed that it does not issue government orders manually or through personal channels.
In this regard, it advised all parties involved in procurement and related matters to use the government's official e-Procurement (eP) system for all applications.
"Supplier companies are advised to contact the DOA first before providing any supplies or services requested by certain parties to avoid a recurrence of similar fraud cases," the statement said.
