Carlton president Luke Sayers’ rocky stint at PwC, where he was previously CEO during a major tax leak scandal, may come back to bite him again.
The Blues chief is facing an internal investigation from the big four consultancy firm’s ethics department after a complaint centred on alleged conflicts of interest in how they treated businessmen and politicians close to Sayers, reports the AFR.
The whistleblower, who claims to be a PwC employee, alleges Sayers improperly influenced a subsidiary of Helloworld being awarded the PwC travel account in 2016.
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The allegation also claims the CEO of Helloworld, who became the travel sponsor of Carlton, helped Sayers gain access to then Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg and finance minister Mathias Cormann, and that the CEO Andrew Burnes later invested in Sayers’ post-PwC company the Sayers group.
It is not suggested the allegations in the complaint are true, only that the complaint has been made and an investigation has begun.
Meanwhile federal senator Deborah O’Neill has warned Sayers is still facing allegations of “gross misconduct”, with a report into the scandal due in March.
Sayers told the Herald Sun last week he believed the scandal “was completed”.
“I am not sure from where Mr Sayers has gained the impression that there will be an absence of findings, reflections or recommendations on the person who presided as CEO over the gross misconduct that the Senate’s work has uncovered,” O’Neill said.
“Just as he feels he has unfinished business at Carlton, the Parliament’s work and the ongoing process of investigation, review and accountability are not yet done with Mr Sayers.”
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The PwC tax scandal saw the company forced to sell its government consultancy business, previously valued at up to $1 billion, for $1 as it was revealed government secrets were passed onto clients, allowing senior figures to profit.
Sayers was not accused of being personally involved but was the CEO at the time and apologised during a Senate hearing in 2023.
He is seeking an extension to his term as Carlton president, with regulations currently only allowing him to serve 12 years as a director.