The District of Columbia city’s chief technology officer, Vivek Kundra, was recently named “Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the United States of America.”
It has been reported that his former D. C. city offices were raided and today one worker (Yusuf Acar) and another man (Sushil Bansal) have been arrested. Details remain sketchy, but while Kundra was in charge, with Acar responsible for contracting, Bansal’s company was awarded 2 technology contracts to the tune of $350,000.
Acar is being charged with four different crimes:
COUNT ONE (Conspiracy to Commit Bribery)
Between in or about October 2008 and the present in a continuing course of conduct, in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, YUSUF ACAR and SUSHIL BANSAL did knowingly combine, conspire, confederate and agree with each other and others known and unknown, to commit the offense of bribery of a public official by inducing Yusuf Acar to do an act or omit to do an act in violation of his official duty in return for a thing of value. (Conspiracy to Commit Bribery of a Public Official in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 201 and 371).
COUNT TWO (Honest Services Wire Fraud)
At all times material to this complaint Yusuf Acar was an officer or employee of the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Technology Officer.
Between in or about October 2008 and the present in a continuing course of conduct, in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, Yusuf Acar and Sushil Bansal devised and intended to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the District of Columbia Government and the citizens of the District of Columbia, of their right to the honest services of Yusuf Acar, performed free from deceit, favoritism, bias, self-enrichment, self-dealing, concealment, and conflict of interest.
On or about December 18, 2008, in the District of Columbia, for the purpose of executing the scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive, Yusuf Acar knowingly transmitted and caused to be transmitted by means of wire communication certain signals in interstate commerce, that is, the falsified timesheets of Khalid Rahman, sent via facsimile from the District of Columbia to the Commonwealth of Virginia. (Wire Fraud Deprivation of Honest Services of a Public Official , in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343, 1346).
COUNT THREE (Conflict of Interest)
Between in or about October 2008 through the present in a continuing course of conduct, in the District of Columbia, Yusuf Acar, being an officer and employee of the District of Columbia, knowingly and willfully participated personally and substantially as a Government officer and employee, through decision, approval, recommendation, the rendering of advice and otherwise, relating to awarding contracts, purchase orders and selecting vendors, in which Yusuf Acar had a financial interest. (Acts Affecting a Personal Financial Interest, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C., Section 208).
COUNT FOUR (Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments)
Between in or about October 2008 and the present, in a continuing course of conduct, in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, YUSUF ACAR, SUSHIL BANSAL and others conspired to commit the offense of laundering monetary instruments, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956. (Conspiracy to Commit the Offense of Laundering Monetary Instruments, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C., Sections 1956(a)(1)-(2), 1956(h)).
Either Kundra was too stupid to know what his employees were doing, or he knew and didn’t care. And it’s not like this was a big outfit, with a budget around $69 million and some 298 employees; so where was the oversight or maybe some whistleblower or at least an external auditor’s questions? Or is this simply the way that this little government organization typically does business?
The company kept by this administration leaves much to be desired.
Need you ask? sheesh