(a) Suspected violations of the Gratuities clause shall be reported to the contracting officer responsible for the acquisition (or the Chief of the Contracting Office (COCO) if the contracting officer is suspected of the violation). The contracting officer (or COCO) shall obtain from the person reporting the violation, and any witnesses to the violation, the following information—

(1) The date, time, and place of the suspected violation;

(2) The name and title (if known) of the individual(s) involved in the violation; and

(3) The details of the violation (e.g., the gratuity offered or intended) to obtain a contract or favorable treatment under a contract.

(b) The person reporting the violation and witnesses (if any) should be requested to sign and date the information certifying that the information furnished is true and correct. The COCO shall report suspected violations to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, with a copy to General Counsel and the OA's Chief Counsel.

(a) The HCA is authorized to determine whether a Gratuities clause violation has occurred. If the HCA has been personally and substantially involved in the procurement, DOT legal counsel advice should be sought to determine if a substitute for the HCA should be designated.

(b) The COCO shall ensure that the contractor is afforded the hearing procedures required by FAR 3.204(b). Government legal counsel should be consulted regarding the appropriateness of the hearing procedures.

(c) If the HCA determines that the alleged gratuities violation occurred during the “conduct of an agency procurement”, the COCO shall consult with DOT legal counsel regarding the approach for appropriate processing of either the Procurement Integrity Act violation and/or the Gratuities violation.