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ESP Employee Gets $5,000 Reward For Foiling Bribery Attempt

11 December 2000

ESP Employee Gets $5,000 Reward For Foiling Bribery Attempt at Vehicle Inspection Station

    EAST GRANBY, Conn., Dec. 8 Under a program revamped by
Environmental Systems Products Holdings Inc.'s (ESP) president and chief
executive officer Michael R. Chambrello, the ESP Joint Citizen-Employee
Integrity Campaign, Inspector David Hernandez has been awarded $5,000 for
foiling an alleged bribery attempt at the Bridgeport, Connecticut motor
vehicle inspection station.
    Inspector Hernandez reportedly was offered a bribe to issue a passing
grade to a vehicle for an inspection.  He immediately reported the incident to
his supervisor and the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles onsite
representative, who called the Connecticut State Police.
    "Our primary mission is to protect Connecticut's environment and the
safety of its residents and motorists," said Mr. Chambrello.  "It is a mission
so important, we cannot let anything get in the way of its success.  This
incident shows that the whistleblower program is working and that employees
take our mission quite seriously.
    "The program works two ways," added Mr. Chambrello.  "A reward of up to
$5,000 is also available to members of the public who provide information
leading to the arrest of an ESP employee who accepts a bribe."
    Since being appointed to his position at the end of October by ESP's new
owners -- Credit Suisse First Boston and Chase Equity Associates --
Mr. Chambrello has improved and enhanced ESP's operations on several fronts,
including the reward program.  The company recently announced it hired
Decision Strategies Fairfax International L.L.C. (DSFX), one of the world's
most prominent investigative consulting and security firms, to analyze ESP's
operations, strengthen its ethics code and upgrade employee ethics and
contractual compliance training.
    New signs have been installed at all 25 ESP inspection facilities in
Connecticut to inform motorists of the benefits of emissions and safety
testing of motor vehicles, provide information on how the testing process
works and warn both employees and motorists about the grave consequences for
offering or accepting bribes for fraudulent inspection results.
Mr. Chambrello also put into place a procedure that requires two ESP employees
to sign off on every inspection, both emissions and safety.
    Other enhancements planned for the next several weeks include the hiring
of a compliance officer who will ensure all laws and regulations are upheld
and that employees adhere to an enhanced code of ethics.  Employee training
sessions will begin in the first quarter of 2001 on the revised code, customer
service and operations.
    "Our employees work hard every day to carry out the responsibility they
have to deliver an effective, customer-friendly program," noted Mr.
Chambrello.  "In my discussions with more than 200 of our Connecticut workers,
I have found they are excited about the changes we are putting in place, and
looking forward to a more positive work environment once the changes have
taken effect.  The addition of the comprehensive training sessions in the
coming months will prepare them further to handle virtually any situation that
may arise in our facilities."