by Stuart McCarthy

Omni Executive Pty Ltd CEO Jon Hawkins

Former SAS officers referred to national corruption watchdog over $230 million in government contracts to private security and intelligence “front company” Omni Executive. A Stuart McCarthy investigation.

Three former senior Australian SAS officers have been referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) over a series of multi-million dollar federal government security and intelligence contracts awarded to the private security company Omni Executive Pty Ltd.

According to the company’s website, Omni was established in 2012 and focuses on “delivering innovative national security, intelligence and critical infrastructure solutions to further our national interests.”

Since 2015, Omni has been awarded more than $230 million in security and intelligence related contracts by the departments of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Home Affairs, Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Australian Signals Directorate, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

Omni contracts hidden

More than $100 million in contracts appear to have been awarded to the company through limited or non-competitive tender. Contract notices for government contracts awarded to the company from 2012 to 2015 are not publicly available, although some sources suggest Omni may have initially been engaged as a subcontractor by another defence and security consulting firm.