From the SMH (Sydney Morning Herald);
Six managers on standby for a US trip
Scott Rochfort
January 17, 2008
SIX former and current Qantas senior managers, including the airline's head of commercial freight, Stephen Cleary, face possible extradition to the US after being excluded from a plea deal the airline reached with the US Department of Justice.
A day after Qantas was ordered to pay a $US61 million ($69 million) criminal fine after it pleaded guilty in a Washington court to illegally fixing air cargo rates, the airline played down suggestions the former or current employees had any involvement in the price-fixing scam.
"This does not mean the individuals have been involved in any illegal activity nor that the Department of Justice will prosecute them," a Qantas spokesman said.
Other former freight employees who have been excluded from the plea deal were Peter Frampton, who was head of freight; head of freight sales in Singapore, Harold Pang; head of freight in Los Angeles, Bruce McCaffrey; and executives Desmond Church and John Cooper.
Qantas and senior management figures including the chief executive, Geoff Dixon, are now immune from any further prosecution in the US in relation to the freight scandal. The deal was first struck in November but was approved only this week.
Qantas is yet to admit any guilt in Australia, where it is under investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
It is also under investigation in Europe and New Zealand.
Is this what the executive of an airline have to do to ensure shareholder value?
"Fish rots from the head down...."