South Australia MP Troy Bell has been found guilty of stealing more than $400,000 from not-for-profits.
Before he entered SA Parliament in 2014, Bell worked for the state’s Department of Education.
In 2017, he was accused of abusing his position there to funnel money – meant to fund programs for vulnerable young people – into his personal accounts.
Bell has now been found guilty in the High Court, and will be sentenced at a later date.
Context
Bell was elected to SA Parliament in 2014 as a Liberal MP for the regional seat of Mount Gambier.
In 2017, the state’s anti-corruption watchdog accused Bell of “20 counts of theft and six counts of dishonestly dealing with documents”.
The accusations related to Bell’s time at the SA Department of Education, where he worked for 15 years before entering politics.
Bell left the Liberal Party but was re-elected as an independent MP in 2018 and 2022.
What happened?
The anti-corruption investigation found that Bell siphoned off $430,000 in funding intended for not-for-profit organisations, from 2009 to 2013.
Bell moved the money between his own bank account and education bodies he was associated with. This included a Mt Gambier centre aimed at helping children who’d become disengaged from school.
The SA anti-corruption watchdog recommended Bell face criminal prosecution.
Trial
Bell tried to stop a criminal trial from going ahead, accusing the watchdog of overstepping its powers.
However, his objections were rejected and the case reached Australia’s top court — the High Court. A criminal trial began in June this year in South Australia.
Prosecutors told the court Bell used this money on personal debts, to renovate his home, and to pay for at least one overseas trip.
Bell denied any wrongdoing.
Verdict
Bell pleaded not guilty to theft and fraud charges, with his lawyers labelling the allegations “confusing” and “misleading”
On Thursday, a jury found him guilty of all 20 counts of theft, and five out of the six counts of dishonestly dealing with documents.
The judge in the case will now deliver a sentence at a later date.
Bell did not make any comments to reporters when he left court.
