Former Target head Dene Rogers says the suppliers scandal that hit the Wesfarmers' retailer this month constitutes fraud and is an example of Australia's weak corporate culture. 
Mr Rogers, a long-time senior executive in American retailing, stepped down from Target in 2013 after just 17 months as chief executive over differing views about strategy. He said he was about to be appointed chief executive of an international retailer owned by private equity.
He said Target's decision to boost suppliers' rebates to meet profit targets should be considered a crime.
''I believe they are symptoms of a culture that is not as open, ethical, or accountable as Australians would expect of their largest companies,'' he said in an interview. ''These actions should be illegal.''
He suggested Australian business lacked high standards.
''I have spent most of my working life in senior positions in retail companies in North America, where there is a greater emphasis on capabilities rather than relationships,'' he said. ''In the US it is not about what you have in common with others.''
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