A security firm that billed the Defense Department millions for guards at an U.S. air base in Iraq has agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle allegations that none of them could pass a firearms test, Stars and Stripes reported.
Virginia-based security contractor Triple Canopy agreed to the settlement after being accused of submitting false claims for payment for unqualified guards at Al Asad Airbase, the second-largest air base in Iraq, in 2009 and 2010, the military news outlet reported.
The settlement stems from a whistleblower suit accusing Triple Canopy of billing for guards hired to protect U.S. and allied personnel who could not pass an Army firearms proficiency test, and falsified score cards from the test, Stars and Stripes reported.
The company billed the government more than $10.4 million under that contract, of which more than $4.35 million was for the guards.
Triple Canopy admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Founded in 2003 by veteran Army Special Forces and Delta operators, Triple Canopy contracted with U.S. government agencies to provide security services overseas. The company merged with Academi, formerly Blackwater, to form parent company Constellis Group in 2014, Stars and Stripes reported.
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