Metro Boss and Contractor Allegedly Used Soiled Cloths to Sabotage Zoono Cleaning Trials

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13 April 2021

A rail provider in Melbourne is facing accusations of planning to sabotage trials of Zoono’s antimicrobial products, discovered via a series of tapped phone calls.

Alongside the Metro’s cleaning contractor Transclean, Metro manager Peter Bollas allegedly colluded to contaminate trials of Zoono’s cleaning product, because its efficacy threatened to cut Transclean’s revenue in the contract.

Zoono is calling for a fresh product trial in light of this.

“If you put too much on it, it’ll be obvious. And they do tests all the time, so they know what’s in a normal range.”

–Steve Kyritsis

Company Employee, Transclean and Transclean boss George Haritos' nephew 

Reducing Frequency of Deep Cleans

One of Zoono’s selling points is that it has internal global laboratory test data and evidence to show that Zoono can help protect surfaces for up to 30 days, although this is a claim that was withdrawn from the UK market in August 2020.

According to Melbourne news service The Age, this germ protection claim means the deep clean of trains that is currently required on a nightly basis in Melbourne would only need to occur once every three weeks, cutting 70 per cent of cleaning costs overseas.

Tapped Phone Calls Urging the Use of Cleaning Cloths from Bins

Tapped phone calls played to an Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) hearing, detail Transclean boss George Haritos, his nephew Steve Kyritsis who also works for the firm, and Peter Bollas discussing how to use dirty serviettes from bins to sabotage Zoono’s trials and to ensure Transclean’s cleaning hours were not at risk.

Haritos said: “Like from the rubbish bin, just a serviette, just bang, bang, touch four, five points as she’s going.” 

Kyritsis added: “If you put too much on it, it’ll be obvious. And they do tests all the time, so they know what’s in a normal range.”

IBAC investigates corruption in the public sector throughout Victoria. 

Misleading Reports

The pandemic has meant increased pressure on the reporting of cleaning processes, arguably to a new and unprecedented standard.

It is claimed that, in other phone calls, Bollas gave advice to Transclean about upcoming audits, and instructed them on how to amend timesheets to make it look like more staff were working than were in reality.

IBAC's investigation and set of public hearings, known as Operation Esperance, continues. For further details, including a summary of the scope and purpose of the hearings, visit the Operation Esperance page on IBAC's website.

Picture: a photograph of the interior of a train, showing a person wearing a mask collecting rubbish in a black bin liner

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 13 April 2021

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