Cooperating with Oz parliamentary panel on contract probe: Infosys

Follows allegations that former MP helped Synergy 360 and its client, Infosys, win government contracts

IT major Infosys has said it is cooperating with the Australian parliamentary committee that is investigating possible “tainted contracts” following allegations that former minister Stuart Robert helped lobbying firm Synergy 360 and its client, Infosys, win government contracts.

“Infosys is committed to the highest level of compliance, integrity and ethical business practices across markets in which it operates. We are cooperating with the Australian parliamentary inquiry in good faith,” Infosys said in a statement to Business Standard.

Media reports in Australia alleged Infosys paid $16 million to Synergy 360 over five years to help it grow the company’s business with the Australian government. It has been alleged that Synergy 360 helped its clients meet Robert in order to win some of the country’s biggest government contracts on IT.

A report by The Sydney Morning Herald said: “Infosys became a key supplier to Services Australia in November 2019 when it won the ECE (Entitlement Calculation Engine) contract to process income support, an ambitious idea to transfer the payment system from an old mainframe. Infosys struggled to deliver results and the federal agency later chose to do much of the work itself.”

Infosys said the contract concerned resulted from a 14-month-long stringent government procurement process in accordance with the official framework.

“This included government-appointed pricing and probity consultants and government legal counsel to ensure an unbiased selection process.”

Infosys Executive Vice-President Andrew Groth on Friday told the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) the company was working with Synergy 360 to grow its government business, and to help design, build, and deliver IT solutions.

“We worked to pursue opportunities across state and federal government.”

Groth told the committee Infosys no longer engaged Synergy 360 and had not been aware of anything untoward.