Case studies

The general manager of a livestock exporter provided forged documents to the Australian Government to obtain approval to export live sheep to Pakistan. The manager caused his employee (without knowing) to alter import requirements from the Pakistani Government and draft a certificate of health to make the sheep appear eligible to be imported into the country. The manager was found guilty of fraud under the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

A former Biosecurity Officer at the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture (as it was then known) abused his position to coordinate the import of animals into Australia illegally. As part of the man’s employment he was responsible for inspecting cargo and specimens being imported into Australia. He used this position of trust and access to take and then sell the animals online. The man was convicted and sentenced to 3 years in prison.

A former managing director of a charity misused Commonwealth grant funding to pay invoices and buy a new car. He fraudulently spent $44,551.26 of public funds that were supposed to rehabilitate Australian land by weeding and planting trees. The grant funding was also meant to provide opportunities for Indigenous training, employment and community engagement activities. The man was convicted and sentenced to 12 months in prison.