Former cabinet minister Stuart Robert has been under scrutiny for his close ties with tech giant Infosys. The company recently revealed that Robert had met with them on multiple occasions, totaling 11 meetings, during the time when Infosys was actively pursuing lucrative contracts, including a deal to build a government payment system.
These meetings, which took place between September 2018 and June 2019, have raised questions about the nature of Robert’s relationship with Infosys and whether any improper influence was involved. The parliamentary inquiry investigating the matter is particularly interested in understanding the role of David Milo, a consultant friend of Robert’s, whose firm Synergy 360 requested success fees from companies in order to secure government contracts in Canberra.
According to the information provided by Infosys, the first meeting between Robert and the company occurred when he was serving as assistant treasurer in September 2018. This initial meeting later led to a second encounter at a Sydney restaurant called Banksii in November of the same year. Additionally, Robert had talks with the company’s global head of public affairs during that month.
Shortly after the May 2019 election, Robert was promoted to cabinet as the minister for government services. It was during this time that he held another meeting with Infosys, this time with its regional head, Andrew Groth, and associate vice president, Allen Koehn. The meeting took place on June 26 at federal offices in Sydney, and Milo was also present.
One of the key concerns arising from these meetings is that Infosys eventually won a contract to develop a government payment system, which was later abandoned at a significant cost of $191 million. The parliamentary inquiry is seeking to determine whether Robert’s relationship with Infosys played any part in the company securing this contract.
The revelations surrounding Stuart Robert and his repeated meetings with Infosys have raised eyebrows and sparked further investigation into the potential impropriety of their relationship. As the parliamentary inquiry continues, more details are expected to emerge, shedding light on the nature and implications of these high-level meetings.
