Orix CEO charged with money laundering

THE Australian head of major fleet management company Orix has reportedly been charged with paying corrupt commissions to an employee of Coca-Cola Amatil.

THE head of major fleet management company Orix has reportedly been charged with paying corrupt commissions to an employee of Coca-Cola Amatil.

Chief executive John Carter is accused of paying a whopping $504,000 to Coca-Cola Amatil’s fleet manager in exchange for vehicle leasing contracts, Fairfax reports.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) has taken delivery of an additional 13 gas-powered Iveco Stralis 6x2 rigid trucks, following the impressive results of a year-long trial with an identical seed vehicle.

A NSW Police Force statement says a 53-year-old Vaucluse man, the CEO of a fleet management company, was arrested on Thursday and charged with four counts of paying corrupt commissions and one count of money laundering.

“The charges relate to four large deposits made into a bank account in June 2014 and February 2015 totalling $504,900,” the statement says.

“Police will allege the CEO was aware of the corrupt commissions and had provided advice in relation to how they were paid.”

Mr Carter was granted conditional bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on May 1.

The Coca-Cola Amatil fleet manager and an Orix senior manager have also been charged and are due to appear in court in coming weeks.

Police haven’t ruled out further arrests.

A deliveryman unloads Coca-Cola Co. soda from a truck in the Zona Rosa neighborhood of Mexico City, Mexico, on Wednesday, April 2, 2014. The world's biggest soft-drink guzzlers are taking smaller sips after Mexico raised taxes on sugary refreshments. Volumes of Sprite, Coke and other beverages may fall as much as 7 percent this year at Coca-Cola Femsa SAB, according to the company, which is passing the levy on to consumers with price increases. Photographer: Susana Gonzalez/Bloomberg

Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, of the fraud and cybercrime squad, said corrupt business practices wouldn’t be tolerated.

“White-collar crime - and in particular, employee-related fraud - costs the NSW economy millions of dollars,” he said.

Orix own or manage assets with a value of $1.2 billion, its website says.

This general view shows the exterior of a new Coca-Cola plant in Cikedokan, Bekasi-West Java, on March 31, 2015. The newly inaugurated Coca-Cola company new plant in Indonesia, has become the biggest plant in Asia-Pacific with total investment worth some 500 million USD. AFP PHOTO / Bay ISMOYO

Originally published as Orix CEO charged with money laundering