A former Warrnambool City Council community services officer assisting disadvantaged families has been charged after allegedly concocting claims and using a council bank card to pay for accommodation, services and goods.
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Detective Senior Constable Richard Hughes, of the Warrnambool police crime investigation unit, said police executed a search warrant at a Moyne shire address on Tuesday this week.
The 37-year-old woman was arrested and a number of items were located and seized.
It's alleged accommodation in Melbourne, household items and other goods and services were obtained for personal use through council and agency funds.
The woman has been charged and bailed to appear in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on a date to be fixed.
The five charges include obtaining property by deception, obtaining financial advantage by deception, attempting to obtain financial advantage by deception, making a false document and using a false document.
The charges relate to accommodation, goods and services valued at about $5000.
Police launched a fraud investigation after a report was made on July 29 last year.
It's alleged by police the woman made a number of purchases with a council bank card for disadvantaged families but those goods and services were for her own personal use.
Alleged purchases include accommodation in Melbourne, household items including a bike, vacuum, freezer and a fryer and tyres and a service for a vehicle.
It's alleged the woman's partner's car was serviced and tyres fitted to that vehicle.
The woman was bailed to appear in court on June 27 and she resigned from her council position mid last year.
The Warrnambool City Council declined to comment as the matter is before the court.
In 2020 Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass found a Warrnambool council manager misused his corporate credit card to claim at least $8000 worth of goods and services which were excessive or for his personal benefit.
The senior WCC officer resigned in July 2019 after a review of credit card usage. At that time the council confirmed it had 81 cards and their use was restricted to work-related expenses.
In a statement to The Standard, the council said in September 2018 its internal financial checks and balances prompted some queries over purchases made on a council credit card.
Three separate reviews and inquiries into credit card use at the council were conducted.
An internal audit, external audit and an inquiry by the Office of the Victorian Ombudsman was carried out into the processes and controls around expenditure made using council credit cards.
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