Former National Gallery of Victoria employee charged over $8m phone fraud scheme

Consensus Summary

A former senior employee of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has been charged by Victoria’s corruption watchdog, IBAC, over an alleged scheme to steal approximately $8 million by purchasing mobile phones using an NGV account and selling them for personal profit. The fraud, which allegedly spanned six years from September 2019, was uncovered after IBAC launched an investigation in September. The employee, who remains unnamed, faces seven counts of theft and one count of misconduct in public office, with his court appearance scheduled for 20 October. The NGV confirmed the individual’s employment was terminated in September 2025 after the matter was reported to authorities.

The scandal unfolded as part of Operation Sonder, an IBAC probe established last year to examine allegations of theft and misuse of position by the former employee. According to all three outlets, the employee allegedly exploited his role to conceal the fraud, purchasing devices worth millions under the NGV’s account before reselling them. The investigation was triggered after suspicions arose, though the exact timeline of when the fraud was first detected remains unclear between sources. The NGV has since implemented new financial controls to prevent similar incidents, though details on how the fraud went undetected for so long have not been disclosed.

Key figures in the case include IBAC, which led the investigation, and NGV director Tony Ellwood, who addressed staff in an email confirming the fraud and emphasizing the organization’s commitment to integrity. Ellwood’s statement, reported exclusively by The Age, highlighted that the actions of the individual did not reflect the values of the NGV or its other employees. Creative Industries Minister Vicki Ward also commented on the matter, calling the allegations ‘disgraceful,’ though she declined to provide further specifics. The employee’s legal proceedings are now underway, with his next court appearance set for late October.

While the core details of the case—including the $8 million figure, the six-year duration, and the charges—are consistent across all three outlets, discrepancies arise in the framing of the timeline. The Guardian and The Age both cite September 2025 as the end date for the alleged offending, but The Age also notes the conduct continued up to September last year, creating some confusion. Additionally, ABC specifies eight offences (seven thefts and one misconduct), whereas the other two outlets mention only seven theft counts and one misconduct charge. These differences, however, do not undermine the overall consensus on the severity and scale of the fraud.

The next steps in the case will likely unfold in court, where prosecutors from IBAC will present evidence against the former employee. The NGV has distanced itself from the individual’s actions, stressing that the fraud was the work of one person and not reflective of the organization as a whole. As the legal process continues, further details may emerge about how the scheme operated and why it took so long to be detected. For now, the focus remains on holding the individual accountable while ensuring the NGV strengthens its internal safeguards to prevent future misconduct.