YaY! Corrupt Officials Charged With Rigging Contract Bids

WASHINGTON — Federal authorities found $70,000 in cash in the home of a city official who was charged Thursday with bid-rigging, taking bribes, money laundering and wire fraud.

The official, Yusuf Acar, 40, is an information systems security officer for the city’s technology office and is paid $127,468 a year. He was arrested at his Washington home and held without bond pending a hearing on Tuesday.

Mr. Acar had worked for Vivek Kundra, the city’s former chief technology officer who was recently named by President Obama to be the federal government’s chief information officer. Mr. Kundra has not been tied to the federal investigation, the authorities said, but was put on leave from his new job on Thursday until details of the investigation became clear.

Also arrested Thursday was Sushil Bansal, president and chief executive of the Advanced Integrated Technologies Corporation, which has contracted with various city government agencies since 2004 to provide information technology services and equipment.

Mr. Bansal was charged with bribery and money laundering, and was released on the condition that he not conduct overseas financial transactions or leave the Washington area. He is due back in court on April 21, and prosecutors said they were hopeful that a plea agreement could be reached in his case.

Mr. Acar is accused of having sought and received bribes from Mr. Bansal and of having awarded contracts to Mr. Bansal’s company.

The application for the arrest warrants, released by the United States Attorney’s Office, describes tens of thousands of dollars that the men stole by overcharging for products in a fixed bidding process and by hiring “ghost employees” on contracts.

The application also states that an undercover F.B.I. agent recorded conversations with the men.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/washington/13capital.html?src=SkimUS

YaY! Corrupt Officials Charged With Rigging Contract Bids

YaY! Corrupt Officials Charged With Rigging Contract Bids

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