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Federal prosecutors are weighing up whether to lay more charges against the public servants accused of conspiring to defraud the Department of Finance, a court has heard. The cases of Abdul Aziz El-Debel, Gopalakrishnan Suryanarayanan Vilayur and Raminder Singh Kahlon have been slowly progressing through the ACT Magistrates Court since their arrests in June. All three men, aged between 36 and 50, are charged with conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth. Mr El-Debel and Mr Vilayur were also hit with abuse of public office charges following an 11-month Australian Federal Police investigation that began with a tip from the public service agency. Some of their matters were briefly mentioned in court on Thursday, when Commonwealth prosecutor Eleanor Hobba revealed her office was weighing up whether further charges were warranted. Ms Hobba also revealed that the Commonwealth would not consent to summary jurisdiction, meaning the cases are inevitably destined for the ACT Supreme Court. If convicted of the current charges, Mr El-Debel and Mr Vilayur could be jailed for up to 15 years. Mr Kahlon would face a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars. The Australian Federal Police has alleged that the accused trio profited from an illicit scheme to manipulate IT procurement processes at the Department of Finance over a two-year period beginning in June 2018. The precise methods of the alleged offending are yet to be detailed in court, nor has a dollar figure been placed on its total value. But it is understood to be a significant sum, with the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce having frozen about $7.8 million in assets linked to the accused trio, who are alleged to have used ill-gotten wealth to buy and renovate residential properties in Canberra. The restrained assets are understood to include seven houses worth a combined total of about $5.6 million, as well as a number of cars and bank accounts. Mr El-Debel has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces, while his co-defendants are yet to enter pleas. Each of the men are currently subject to bail conditions that prevent them being within 200 metres of Department of Finance offices and accessing departmental computer systems. The cases return to court on January 21.
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Federal prosecutors are weighing up whether to lay more charges against the public servants accused of conspiring to defraud the Department of Finance, a court has heard.
The cases of Abdul Aziz El-Debel, Gopalakrishnan Suryanarayanan Vilayur and Raminder Singh Kahlon have been slowly progressing through the ACT Magistrates Court since their arrests in June.
All three men, aged between 36 and 50, are charged with conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth.
Mr El-Debel and Mr Vilayur were also hit with abuse of public office charges following an 11-month Australian Federal Police investigation that began with a tip from the public service agency.
Some of their matters were briefly mentioned in court on Thursday, when Commonwealth prosecutor Eleanor Hobba revealed her office was weighing up whether further charges were warranted.
Raminder Singh Kahlon leaves court in June. Picture: Blake Foden
Ms Hobba also revealed that the Commonwealth would not consent to summary jurisdiction, meaning the cases are inevitably destined for the ACT Supreme Court.
If convicted of the current charges, Mr El-Debel and Mr Vilayur could be jailed for up to 15 years. Mr Kahlon would face a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.
The Australian Federal Police has alleged that the accused trio profited from an illicit scheme to manipulate IT procurement processes at the Department of Finance over a two-year period beginning in June 2018.
The precise methods of the alleged offending are yet to be detailed in court, nor has a dollar figure been placed on its total value.
Gopalakrishnan Suryanarayanan Vilayur, right, outside court after his first appearance in June. Picture: Blake Foden
The restrained assets are understood to include seven houses worth a combined total of about $5.6 million, as well as a number of cars and bank accounts.
Each of the men are currently subject to bail conditions that prevent them being within 200 metres of Department of Finance offices and accessing departmental computer systems.
The cases return to court on January 21.
