December 28th, 2004

Employees from three asbestos removal companies have been charged with racketeering connected to asbestos clean-ups for the government. A total of thirteen officials and senior staff member were involved in the scam. One of the jobs in which they were involved was the clean up of the World Trade Centre site following the September 11th attacks on 2001.

It was also revealed that the accused parties were given help by four Port Authority employees, who have been charged with accepting bribes. The defendants have been charged with defrauding the agency in excess of two million dollars. This was done through the creation of non-existent employees, inflated invoices and over billing.

The three asbestos removal companies involved in the charges are thought to have been awarded five million dollars worth of contracts for government work over the past four years. The charges brought against the companies are for enterprise corruption, and the accused could face up to twenty-five years in prison. There will also be a hefty punishment for the four Port Authority employees that accepted bribes to assist the defendants.

The investigation into the companies has been going on since the year 2000. However, much of the evidence collected was on file in one of the World Trade Center towers, and was destroyed after the terrorist attacks in 2001.