CDPP successfully prosecutes fraudulent claims for Queensland disaster relief payments
A Queensland man has plead guilty to 5 offences of defrauding the Commonwealth of $94,777.82 by fraudulently claiming disaster recovery payments. He was sentenced of 4 years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 21 months. The court also made a reparation order for the outstanding debt of $93,641.10.
Between 11 May 2017 and 16 May 2019, Mr Henery Baranaba Nghath of Redbank QLD defrauded Services Australia (Centrelink) of 116 payments of social security benefits paid in relation to fraudulent claims for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP).
Mr Nghath created 66 false identities and assumed the identities of 17 existing Centrelink recipients to submit the fraudulent AGDRP claims. He also assumed the identities of 11 existing Centrelink recipients for the redirected payments.
At the time of the Mr Nghath’s arrest on 17 May 2019, he was found in possession of 289 items of identification information in the names of identities other than his own. These identification documents were obtained through his employment at Sunshine Coast College of Management.
Related countermeasures
Submit a case study
We'd like to hear from you if you have a case study to share.