Australia court ruling finds state legislator Fraser Ellis guilty on deception charges News
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Australia court ruling finds state legislator Fraser Ellis guilty on deception charges

Australia’s Adelaide Magistrates Court found South Australian legislator Fraser Ellis guilty of four counts of deception on Monday for misuse of the accommodation allowance available to members of parliament.

Fraser Ellis, an independent MP representing the Narungga electoral district in the South Australian House of Assembly, was found guilty of four counts of deception in breach of s 139 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act (SA), for fraudulent use of the Parliamentary Country Members Accommodation Allowance. An investigation conducted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) alleged Ellis had “made 78 fraudulent claims for the Country Members Accommodation Allowance, totaling more than $18,000,” between May 13, 2018 and June 12, 2020. A Public Statement issued by the ICAC on February 19, 2021, revealed Ellis was charged with 23 counts of deception. He was found not guilty of the remaining 19 charges.

Ellis, formerly representing the Liberal Party, was investigated alongside several other MPs. Troy Bell, MP for Mount Gambier, had previously been charged with similar offences.

In a statement to reporters outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court following the verdict, Ellis said “I did not expect the outcome, having sat through that trial, showed up today and hoped to be fully acquitted.” In an earlier decision, the magistrate overseeing the trial admitted a series of documents presented in the House of Assembly into evidence despite Ellis’ assertion of parliamentary privilege. Ellis’ application to appeal this decision was denied.

The Country Members Accommodation Allowance is a reimbursement a South Australian MP might be eligible to receive if they meet specific entitlement requirements. The eligibility criteria stipulate that a member whose “usual place of residence is greater than 75km by road from the Great Post Office at Adelaide” who was required to stay overnight in Adelaide for “parliamentary, electoral, community or ministerial purposes” would be entitled to the reimbursement.

Ellis, concerning the judgment and potential for appeal said, “I need a chance to talk to my legal team, understand the judgement and just dissect the reasoning behind the magistrate’s decision so that I can make an informed decision about whether I appeal and what the next steps are.”

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