Now That's a Lot of Copy Toner

Accenture is a pretty big company. It is a professional services company providing a range of services like strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. It has more than 400,000 employees throughout the world and its sales exceeds $30 billion annually. Among its customers are various components of the U.S. Government.

The Justice Department just announced that one of Accenture's segments, Accenture Federal Services LLC has agreed to pay $1.7 million to settle overcharges billed to a GSA (General Services Administration) multiple award schedule contract and more specifically, to the U.S. Army Contracting Command who purchased those services under the GSA schedule.

This agreement follows a self-disclosure by Accenture to the Army Contracting Command. Accenture's internal investigation found that it had overcharged the Government because of unauthorized purchases of copy toner that had been surreptitiously made by a subcontractor on the contract.

Accenture's disclosure to the Army was made pursuant to Accenture's Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct, a requirement of FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations). During the investigation by the Army's Criminal Investigation Command, Accenture provided assistance, as also required by FAR.

For more information on the Government Contractor Disclosure Program and to understand the requirements, click here. These requirements apply to Government contracts greater than $5 million. If your unsure about its applicability, search your contract for FAR Clause 52.203.11, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct.