Insurance contracts awarded to M+J Builders under review
Two of Australia’s major insurers are reviewing contracts awarded to a Northern Territory business following AFP charges. Read who’s reviewing.
Fallout from the arrest of the directors of a prominent Darwin building firm continues to resonate across the Territory, with two of the nation’s leading insurers responding to allegations of potentially unusual practices in the allocation of insurance repair work.
M+J Builders principals, husband and wife Michael and Jessica Buckley, have both been charged with gaining a benefit from a Commonwealth entity in relation to up to $71m in contracts awarded by the Department of Defence.
Commonwealth public servant Dallas Wynne and his wife Natalie Wynne were also charged with gaining a benefit from a Commonwealth entity and Mr Wynne with further charged with allegedly exploiting his position as a public servant with Department of Defence.
Raids on November 15 involving the Australian Federal Police, National Anti-Corruption Commission and Department of Defence resulted in the arrests of Mr Buckley and Mr and Ms Wynne, with Ms Buckley arrested the following week.
Ms Wynne and Ms Buckley are also directors of Transportable Solutions NT which has been stripped, along with M+J Builders, of contractor accreditation, meaning they can no longer tender for government jobs.
Investigators seized electronic devices including mobile phones and laptops during the arrests, which they said would be subject to forensic examination.
Other items also seized included documentation, a firearm, jewellery, $30,000 in cash and a small quantity of a suspected illicit substance, potentially cocaine.
The AFP alleges the Buckleys and Wynnes were involved in a conspiracy to “influence the awarding of tenders to their company, with the intention of dishonestly gaining a benefit from the Commonwealth, namely the Department of Defence”.
The arrests prompted a number of Territory builders to contact the NT News with concerns about the tender process endured by the Northern Territory’s building sector.
The concerns stemmed from work awarded by Allianz-owned TIO to building contractors across the Northern Territory, with anecdotal reports suggesting M+J Builders were regularly allocated work by TIO.
Concerns were also directed at other insurers, with two of the country’s largest reviewing dealings with M+J Builders.
Contacted by the NT News for comment, a TIO spokesperson provided a two-line, three-sentence response.
“TIO works with a broad panel of builders to ensure we meet repair needs efficiently and reliably,” the TIO spokesperson said.
“TIO is aware of media reports around M+J Builders and is conducting a thorough review. Our current focus is on limiting any potential impact to our customers.”
Australia’s largest insurer, QBE, also confirmed an investigation was underway.
“QBE is conducting a thorough review of its dealings with M+J Builders and will continue to monitor the situation closely,” a spokesperson said.
“As this matter is currently the subject of a police investigation, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.”
The Australian Federal Police said the investigation remained ongoing.
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Originally published as Insurance contracts awarded to M+J Builders under review
