Seven people, including a former chief executive, have been charged following an investigation into allegations of serious corruption in Victoria's public transport network.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) has confirmed it charged the staffers with offences including misconduct in public office and receiving secret commissions.
The former chief executive of V/Line, James Pinder, was charged with four charges of misconduct in public office, four charges of receiving secret commissions and one charge of conspiracy to solicit secret commissions.
The charges were the result of Operation Esperance, which held public hearings into V/Line and Metro's tendering and procurement processes.
Mr Pinder was sacked from the role in October 2020 in the wake of his appearance before the inquiry.
IBAC also confirmed it had charged the former head of fleet operational support at Metro Trains with one charge of receiving secret commissions and one charge of conspiracy to solicit secret commissions.
It also charged two directors and two staff members from Transclean, a cleaning company, in relation to the investigation.
"A Transclean director has been charged with three charges of giving secret commissions and two charges of conspiracy to give secret commissions," IBAC said in a statement.
"Another Transclean director has been charged with conspiracy to give secret commissions."
One Transclean staff member is facing a charge of conspiracy to give secret commissions. Another is facing a charge of giving secret commissions and one charge of conspiracy to attempt to pervert the course of justice.
"[A] lawyer to a Transclean staff member has been charged with one charge of conspiracy to attempt to pervert the course of justice," IBAC's said.
The first court appearance will be in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court later this month.
