Two Victorian men are expected to appear in Dandenong Magistrates' Court today (1 August, 2024) charged with allegedly using inside information to bet on the outcome of three Australian of the Year Awards.
A Mount Martha man, 38, is alleged to have used information from a Commonwealth employee to place a series of bets on the awards between 2017 and 2019.
A Mornington man, 39, is alleged to have provided the information to the Mount Martha man.
Operation Maridun began in February 2021 when the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) provided a report to the AFP about betting irregularities in the 2021 Australian of the Year Awards.
The Mornington man has been charged with three counts of abuse of public office, contrary to section 142.2(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty is five years' imprisonment.
The Mount Martha man has been charged with three counts of aiding, abetting, counselling, or procuring offences of abuse of public office, contrary to section 11.2 and 142.2(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for this offence is five years' imprisonment.
The AFP will allege the Mount Martha man received $13,302 from the bets.
AFP Detective Superintendent Glenn Tod said the AFP and partners were committed to disrupting major financial crime based on inside information.
"The misuse of official or privileged information erodes public trust in our institutions," Det-Supt Tod said.
"The consequences for those abusing positions of trust can be extremely serious.
"The AFP, ACIC and Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) share vital financial intelligence so we can act swiftly if criminal activity occurs."
