Former ATSIC leader Geoff Clark is calling for the fraud investigation into activities at Framlingham Aboriginal Trust to be extended.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
![Investigation call: Former ATSIC leader Geoff Clark says he has been singled out in a fraud investigation and wants the probe expanded. Picture: Christine Ansorge Investigation call: Former ATSIC leader Geoff Clark says he has been singled out in a fraud investigation and wants the probe expanded. Picture: Christine Ansorge](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc7137v1zsho81avnehl3a.jpg/r0_202_3504_2250_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Speaking after appearing in Warrnambool Magistrates Court earlier this week, where he is facing 25 historical fraud-related charges, he said he was being singled out.
The majority of the charges relate to allegedly gaining payments for the purposes of paying legal fees.
"The investigation should be broader and include all past employees, not just me and my family," Clark told The Standard.
"It's only fair they investigate those other people who were associated.
“These are serious charges and serious allegations."
He said the investigation needed to be transparent and the board of the Framlingham Aboriginal Trust had moved a motion calling for it to be extended.
"We think the investigation has been too narrow and selective and only applies to Aboriginal people and not everyone."
He said South West Coast MP Roma Britnell was a former Kirrae Health Service employee. Mrs Britnell, who worked as a nurse with the service for 15 years, said it received federal funding and was audited annually.
“The Framlingham Aboriginal Trust and the health service are two totally separate entities,” she said.
“I have never had anything to do with the trust and I don’t even really understand what the investigation is about. We ran a community health service, we were audited every year, we had federal funding from DHS and that was acquitted every quarter, so I have no issue with an investigation.
“I worked there for 15 years and I was a wage earner, I had no administrative role, I had no access to any funds and I worked under a board, which Geoff was chair of at some point.
“The health service is a very well run organisation and the community is doing a fantastic job at being empowered to deliver their health services themselves,” she said.
“I would be concerned that (an investigation) would interfere with that, but I am very impressed with the community and how they’ve developed their skills to deliver those services.”