Comments on: Agility Indicted with $8.5B Fraud by US Government http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/ Finance blog focusing on the Arabian Gulf region (GCC) Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:31:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Sal http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-12735 Sal Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:08:28 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-12735 I never knew about internal fraud going on at Agility. I always thought Agility's employees were very well paid with profit sharing schemes, but it seems they're more of sharing scams.. I never knew about internal fraud going on at Agility. I always thought Agility’s employees were very well paid with profit sharing schemes, but it seems they’re more of sharing scams..

]]> By: Sal http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-12733 Sal Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:04:18 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-12733 And we would be very much interested in hearing it straight from the horse's mouth! Thank you Carl for your great comments! And we would be very much interested in hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth! Thank you Carl for your great comments!

]]> By: A.Asghar http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-12668 A.Asghar Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:55:11 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-12668 After working for more than 30 years in one of the best airlines, I was strongly asked by the friends at one of the subsidary of Agility, National Aviation Services (NAS)to join this company as it belonged to mighty PWC. I was reluctant to join but was assured of a permanent job in the company. However after 3 years, I was terminated from my job without giving me any reasons. I brought 32 years of airlines experience to this group and worked on the highest positions in the airline I worked but PWC management let me on road hence till today I struggle to survive with my family in Dubai. After reading a lot on current situation of Agility, the mother compnay of NAS, I would ask the owners to investigate my issue and in future they should not pull the experience people from other companies if they have to throw them out because of their own mismanagement. After working for more than 30 years in one of the best airlines, I was strongly asked by the friends at one of the subsidary of Agility, National Aviation Services (NAS)to join this company as it belonged to mighty PWC. I was reluctant to join but was assured of a permanent job in the company. However after 3 years, I was terminated from my job without giving me any reasons. I brought 32 years of airlines experience to this group and worked on the highest positions in the airline I worked but PWC management let me on road hence till today I struggle to survive with my family in Dubai.

After reading a lot on current situation of Agility, the mother compnay of NAS, I would ask the owners to investigate my issue and in future they should not pull the experience people from other companies if they have to throw them out because of their own mismanagement.

]]> By: WOB http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-10643 WOB Mon, 24 May 2010 21:01:21 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-10643 John, Third country nationals make far more on these jobs than they would back in their homelands. That's why so many of them flock to the ME--it pays them handsomely -- again, compared to what they'd be making back home. John,

Third country nationals make far more on these jobs than they would back in their homelands. That’s why so many of them flock to the ME–it pays them handsomely — again, compared to what they’d be making back home.

]]> By: Carl Ainvire http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-9364 Carl Ainvire Tue, 04 May 2010 17:59:37 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-9364 As far as the bonus gripe with Agility is concerned, yes this was disgracefull, people were promised a set wage and a set bonus on leaving for Kuwait. On arriving in Kuwait contracts were signed listing pay packets but often not the bonus. Many times wages were never paid out at the agreed rate, this happened to many Americans and Indians. If you wanted to make a case in the courts you would lose your job, if you accepted the wages for 3 months under Kuwaiti law then you had accepted the new terms. Your choice, go home jobless and at a massive financial loss having given up a good job or get screwed by Agility? Contracts allowed for wage reductions too. Bonuses were often generous in units that held contracts with the DOD, often because the contracting officer intervened or because this unit was flush so everyone got the full amount as agreed. Many Indians in one unit recieved $35,000 as a bonus. Units that sub-contracted business from contract holding units within PWC / Agility did far worse, money was tighter and often American managers would sell out their American workers and foreign nationals in return for a bigger pay package for themselves. Everyone knows who these people were and the more generous units were often disgusted by their actions but did nothing. Personal greed by higher line managers is why you didn't get your bonus or a semblance of what you were guaranteed each year when you were offered the job. Low down and rotten, yes, but not DOD fraud, though there was plenty of fraud going on in staffing and other areas. During one of the many internal fraud cases (ie only those where the company lost out) it was discovered that managers were cutting employees salaries and paying fired employees long after they had left as part of a pay scam where millions were stolen from the company. No employee was ever re-imbursed though for stolen wages. I'd so love to write about real fraud next, who knows??? As far as the bonus gripe with Agility is concerned, yes this was disgracefull, people were promised a set wage and a set bonus on leaving for Kuwait. On arriving in Kuwait contracts were signed listing pay packets but often not the bonus. Many times wages were never paid out at the agreed rate, this happened to many Americans and Indians. If you wanted to make a case in the courts you would lose your job, if you accepted the wages for 3 months under Kuwaiti law then you had accepted the new terms. Your choice, go home jobless and at a massive financial loss having given up a good job or get screwed by Agility? Contracts allowed for wage reductions too. Bonuses were often generous in units that held contracts with the DOD, often because the contracting officer intervened or because this unit was flush so everyone got the full amount as agreed. Many Indians in one unit recieved $35,000 as a bonus. Units that sub-contracted business from contract holding units within PWC / Agility did far worse, money was tighter and often American managers would sell out their American workers and foreign nationals in return for a bigger pay package for themselves. Everyone knows who these people were and the more generous units were often disgusted by their actions but did nothing. Personal greed by higher line managers is why you didn’t get your bonus or a semblance of what you were guaranteed each year when you were offered the job.
Low down and rotten, yes, but not DOD fraud, though there was plenty of fraud going on in staffing and other areas.
During one of the many internal fraud cases (ie only those where the company lost out) it was discovered that managers were cutting employees salaries and paying fired employees long after they had left as part of a pay scam where millions were stolen from the company. No employee was ever re-imbursed though for stolen wages.
I’d so love to write about real fraud next, who knows???

]]> By: Carl Ainvire http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-9363 Carl Ainvire Tue, 04 May 2010 17:29:59 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-9363 As for Kuwait's wage system it may appear patently unfair to those who believe in equality of labour but it is actually in many respects a fair system. Kuwait has a dearth of labour and needs to import skilled and unskilled labour. Now should they pay everyone Kuwaiti rates? (i.e. should texas farmers pay Mexican day labourers the same as a tax paying American? they don't) It would be nonsensical of them to do so as the Kuwaiti's wage is inflated by oil revenue. therefore if one wishes to work in Kuwait the Kuwait government decides fair pay bands for different global regions. Usually these bands mean that the employee will earn at least 3 times a good wage back home to re-imburse them for leaving their family and working in the gulf. Employees from the first world will not live in 3rd world accomadation, so if they require these workers they must fund suitable standards of housing etc. A second world middle manager will be very happy with a lower standard of housing and a third world national will have lower minimum standards based on what they grew up with. this causes a discrepancy in housing allowances. You won't get the skills from the countries you want if you don't provide a cempetitive package, basic HR. Supply and demand also comes into it, unskilled workers are easy to source, at one of agility's units third world workers got a 20% pay cut after it was decided that they were paying them too much. Management realized this due to receiving 20,000 resumes from Fijian friends of current Fijian employees all stating that they would do the same job for 50% less. Indians later undercut the Fijians and later other nationalities undercut the Indians so wages kept being revised downwards allowing managers to look more profitable and thus receive far larger bonuses themselves. However despite these Agility quirks the Kuwaiti system is fair, many Indians I worked with had massive houses, pools, servants and chaufeurs, yes they were being paid less than the Americans working alongside them but by living in India they were able to leverage their wages into a far, far higher standard of living. While the Indians children headed to the best universities the Americans wondered how they would pay for a State College even. Was this unfair, should not the wages have been remodeled so as all could have the same standard of life back home? Come on. Some countries are far more expensive to live in and thats just tough for the westerner, however he needs a minimum to survive back in his own country where his family is based. Even poorly paid drivers will return home lording it up in their village as the rich son returned and will buy many businesses (shops etc) while in Kuwait and a big house, their children if clever will head to university. Most of Agility's drivers make more than Indian GP's (doctors). Yes they endure low standards, a low pay for Kuwait and a low place on the pecking order but foreign workers in Kuwait often get a great wage for back home and a chance to retire early. Kuwaits equivalent of the pension is also ok, 3 months pay after 5 years and then a months salary for each year worked after that in the same company. Many can go home with cash in hand of over two years work, while most western companies now pay nothing. Now having defended Kuwait on pay in their country we must ask why pay for people based in federal US camps in Iraq were so unequal despite the US being the beacon for equality in the world. We are all aware of what went on, even Congress investigated the slave labour used in building the US embassy in Baghdad. Why did this happen? Because contracting officers had too much on their plates, nobody took responsibility and hell the war was costing way too much as it was. the DOD itself allowed for very low bands of pay for certain jobs in their contracts and adopted whole-hearteadly the Gulf / Kuwaiti system of pay. I could tell you of plenty of areas where Agility committed massive fraud but these weren't them. As for Kuwait’s wage system it may appear patently unfair to those who believe in equality of labour but it is actually in many respects a fair system.
Kuwait has a dearth of labour and needs to import skilled and unskilled labour.
Now should they pay everyone Kuwaiti rates? (i.e. should texas farmers pay Mexican day labourers the same as a tax paying American? they don’t) It would be nonsensical of them to do so as the Kuwaiti’s wage is inflated by oil revenue. therefore if one wishes to work in Kuwait the Kuwait government decides fair pay bands for different global regions. Usually these bands mean that the employee will earn at least 3 times a good wage back home to re-imburse them for leaving their family and working in the gulf.
Employees from the first world will not live in 3rd world accomadation, so if they require these workers they must fund suitable standards of housing etc. A second world middle manager will be very happy with a lower standard of housing and a third world national will have lower minimum standards based on what they grew up with. this causes a discrepancy in housing allowances. You won’t get the skills from the countries you want if you don’t provide a cempetitive package, basic HR.
Supply and demand also comes into it, unskilled workers are easy to source, at one of agility’s units third world workers got a 20% pay cut after it was decided that they were paying them too much. Management realized this due to receiving 20,000 resumes from Fijian friends of current Fijian employees all stating that they would do the same job for 50% less. Indians later undercut the Fijians and later other nationalities undercut the Indians so wages kept being revised downwards allowing managers to look more profitable and thus receive far larger bonuses themselves.
However despite these Agility quirks the Kuwaiti system is fair, many Indians I worked with had massive houses, pools, servants and chaufeurs, yes they were being paid less than the Americans working alongside them but by living in India they were able to leverage their wages into a far, far higher standard of living. While the Indians children headed to the best universities the Americans wondered how they would pay for a State College even. Was this unfair, should not the wages have been remodeled so as all could have the same standard of life back home? Come on. Some countries are far more expensive to live in and thats just tough for the westerner, however he needs a minimum to survive back in his own country where his family is based. Even poorly paid drivers will return home lording it up in their village as the rich son returned and will buy many businesses (shops etc) while in Kuwait and a big house, their children if clever will head to university. Most of Agility’s drivers make more than Indian GP’s (doctors). Yes they endure low standards, a low pay for Kuwait and a low place on the pecking order but foreign workers in Kuwait often get a great wage for back home and a chance to retire early.
Kuwaits equivalent of the pension is also ok, 3 months pay after 5 years and then a months salary for each year worked after that in the same company. Many can go home with cash in hand of over two years work, while most western companies now pay nothing.
Now having defended Kuwait on pay in their country we must ask why pay for people based in federal US camps in Iraq were so unequal despite the US being the beacon for equality in the world. We are all aware of what went on, even Congress investigated the slave labour used in building the US embassy in Baghdad. Why did this happen? Because contracting officers had too much on their plates, nobody took responsibility and hell the war was costing way too much as it was. the DOD itself allowed for very low bands of pay for certain jobs in their contracts and adopted whole-hearteadly the Gulf / Kuwaiti system of pay.
I could tell you of plenty of areas where Agility committed massive fraud but these weren’t them.

]]> By: Carl Ainvire http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-9359 Carl Ainvire Tue, 04 May 2010 15:35:58 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-9359 Agility did break most of the rules of their contract with the DOD (Dept of Defence)over all of thew years from 2003. they did force drivers at pain of dismissal to drive into Iraq without body armour, the minimum requirement under their contract. Many other firms provided costly truck armour for their workers. Agility were too cheap to keep anything close to 65% of required flak vests and helmets. Kuwait could have done more to enforce this, but it was really the US militaries responsibility as having responsibility for all contracted and sub-contracted workers. Agility were beyond miserly when workers got killed or severely injured by IED's in Iraq. Agility was always laying off one group of drivers after discovering countries that would work for even less in such a dangerous war zone. No wonder they have many hatters. However they did get the job done. But lets remember that these charges aren't about worker welfare, tareq sultan will have to meet his maker and explain about that another time, this is about fraud relating to the purchasing of products abroad, mostly in America. Yes, they were horribly greedy, not happy with a contract that gave them a 95% profit, they decided to be ultra clever in trying to milk more money out of the contract by charging hello money from their suppliers etc which did increase prices for the DOD. PWC turned itself from an insignificant warehouse and walmart style Kuwaiti company into the 8th biggest logistics company in the world through cash purchases of major regional logistic companies around the world. Every peeny of this came from their major DOD contract in Iraq. the US has been very generous to PWC / Agility, shmae on them for cheating as we who worked for them all knew they were. tareq Sultans other moral misdemeaners though may be far more costly when he faces a trip to hell after a peaceful old age death in his palatial home. Agility did break most of the rules of their contract with the DOD (Dept of Defence)over all of thew years from 2003. they did force drivers at pain of dismissal to drive into Iraq without body armour, the minimum requirement under their contract. Many other firms provided costly truck armour for their workers. Agility were too cheap to keep anything close to 65% of required flak vests and helmets. Kuwait could have done more to enforce this, but it was really the US militaries responsibility as having responsibility for all contracted and sub-contracted workers. Agility were beyond miserly when workers got killed or severely injured by IED’s in Iraq. Agility was always laying off one group of drivers after discovering countries that would work for even less in such a dangerous war zone. No wonder they have many hatters. However they did get the job done. But lets remember that these charges aren’t about worker welfare, tareq sultan will have to meet his maker and explain about that another time, this is about fraud relating to the purchasing of products abroad, mostly in America. Yes, they were horribly greedy, not happy with a contract that gave them a 95% profit, they decided to be ultra clever in trying to milk more money out of the contract by charging hello money from their suppliers etc which did increase prices for the DOD. PWC turned itself from an insignificant warehouse and walmart style Kuwaiti company into the 8th biggest logistics company in the world through cash purchases of major regional logistic companies around the world. Every peeny of this came from their major DOD contract in Iraq. the US has been very generous to PWC / Agility, shmae on them for cheating as we who worked for them all knew they were. tareq Sultans other moral misdemeaners though may be far more costly when he faces a trip to hell after a peaceful old age death in his palatial home.

]]> By: Bo6air http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-8858 Bo6air Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:06:04 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-8858 @Tips: Yes they are. I hope all Agility Employees see this post @Tips:

Yes they are. I hope all Agility Employees see this post

]]> By: TIPS http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-8803 TIPS Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:22:11 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-8803 To all Agility Employees working in Kuwait - you should receiving overtime rates for any time worked over 48 hours. If you are not receiving this then you should seek assistance with the Kuwaiti courts. Agility Management are not only stealing from the US Government but they are stealing from you. To all Agility Employees working in Kuwait – you should receiving overtime rates for any time worked over 48 hours. If you are not receiving this then you should seek assistance with the Kuwaiti courts. Agility Management are not only stealing from the US Government but they are stealing from you.

]]> By: AGILITY: To Settle or To Settle « Alpha Dinar- talking GCC finance http://www.alphadinar.com/2009/11/17/agility-indicted-with-8-5b-fraud-by-us/comment-page-1/#comment-8298 AGILITY: To Settle or To Settle « Alpha Dinar- talking GCC finance Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:20:54 +0000 http://www.alphadinar.com/?p=2614#comment-8298 [...] 4. Agility Indicted with $8.5B Fraud by US Government [...] [...] 4. Agility Indicted with $8.5B Fraud by US Government [...]

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