Man to face Warwick court over child care fraud charge
A MAN charged with defrauding a community child care centre in the region is due to appear in the Warwick Magistrates Court next month.
Police raided the home of the former office employee - who for legal reasons cannot be named before his court appearance - at the weekend, before charging him with fraud.
It will be alleged in court that the man dishonestly used a corporate credit card to make purchases to the value of about $50,000 over a five-year period.
A spokesman for the Warwick Police Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) yesterday confirmed the man had been charged with fraud with the "aggravated circumstance" of being an employee.
"He is currently on bail and is due to make a first appearance in court on November 27," the spokesman said.
"The person had been employed in an administrative role at this facility and has been charged with an offence of fraud in excess of $30,000.
"He has also been charged with making false records with an intent to defraud.
"Police will allege the fraudulent credit card use took place over a period between March 2007 and April this year."
The CIB spokesman said items seized during the raid of the man's residence on Saturday included computer parts, hardware items and electrical equipment.
"There is a suggestion that this person had been paying for his own children to attend the centre and had been claiming a rebate on that basis," the spokesman said.
It will also be alleged that the loss of funds has caused the centre - which is run on a not-for-profit basis - a degree of financial hardship.
