NBN boss Michael Quigley admits more incorrect claims over his role with telco giant

NBN chief Michael Quigley has admitted making more incorrect claims about his past as a top executive of French telco Alcatel, which has been punished for corruption.  

Quigley

NBN chief Michael Quigley has admitted making more incorrect claims about his past as one of the top executives of French telco giant Alcatel, which was involved in widespread corruption across the globe.

Late last month it was revealed the federal government was unaware of a major US government investigation into Alcatel before it appointed Mr Quigley to the National Broadband Network's top job in 2009.

In response to those revelations Mr Quigley late last month said he did not tell the Australian government of that investigation because it had been resolved.

But when presented with public documents at a parliamentary committee into the NBN in Sydney today, Mr Quigley admitted that statement was wrong.

Mr Quigley also "unreservedly apologised" for incorrectly publicly stating that during his time at Alcatel that he was not responsible for overseeing operations in Costa Rica where Alcatel's corrupt dealings, including bribing government officials in exchange for lucractive contracts, were first exposed.

"I clearly was advised by one of my previous colleagues in North America, who's currently still with Alcatel-Lucent, to check for me whether Costa Rica was within my area of operation and control," he said. "On the basis of that advice I stated that it was not.

"This was an error for which I unreservedly apologise."

For much of the time during which corruption in Costa Rica occurred, Mr Quigley was head of Alcatel Americas, which included both North and South America.

Mr Quigley again said today he was never investigated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the US Department of Justice, which brought the action against Alcatel. Further, he said Alcatel had in December announced he was not involved in, or had any knowledge of, the corruption at Alcatel.

There is no suggestion Mr Quigley was involved in the corruption.

In response to revelations in The Australian concerning the Alcatel bribe scandal, Mr Quigley, in an article published in The Australian on May 5, said it was Alcatel who reported the corruption to authorities.

Today, again following questions from publicly available documents, Mr Quigley agreed it was Costa Rican officials who contacted Alcatel over the corruption.

Federal opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull said Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and the government should have been more aware of Mr Quigley's role with Alcatel.

"Nobody is suggesting any impropriety or dishonesty on the part of Mr Quigley," Mr Turnbull told reporters today.

"He's clearly made a number of mistaken or false statements which he has now corrected and apologised for.

"There's no effort to impugn his integrity but as representatives of the people whose taxes are paying for this NBN, we are entitled to ask questions and try to get to the facts."

Alcatel-Lucent agreed last December to pay $US137 million in fines and penalties to settle the US charges relating to bribes paid in countries in Latin America and Asia between December 2001 and June 2006.