Former NATSIC head Jim Golden-Brown replaced as Adelaide aged-care boss amid funding probe
An Indigenous charity leader at the centre of a federal probe into allegedly misused money has been replaced as boss of an Adelaide aged-care service.
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An embattled Indigenous charity leader with a history of allegedly misusing taxpayer funds has been quietly replaced as the chairman of an Adelaide aged-care service.
Jim Golden-Brown is at the centre of a probe by the Department of Social Services into his conduct while he was the head of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation (NATSIC).
That same corporation, which entered liquidation last May, is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC).
After he was stood down from his role at NATSIC, Mr Golden-Brown became chairman of Mile End-based aged-care provider, Aboriginal Elders & Community Care Services (ACS).
But in a “January 2023 newsletter” published on February 7, ACS, a registered charity, announced changes to its board.
It made no mention of Mr Golden-Brown, but revealed Garth Dodd had been appointed as the new chairman.
The newsletter – published a day after reports emerged of misconduct allegations against Mr Golden-Brown at NATSIC – claimed the decision to change leadership was made at an annual general meeting last November.
The announcement comes as ACS’s finances are reportedly investigated by the Department of Health and Aged Care.
A department spokesman said he “cannot comment on any active cases relating to organisations or its key personnel”.
Since 2019, ACS has received $21.7m in Commonwealth grant funding for aged-care services through the department.
ACS has not responded to The Advertiser’s questions, including whether Mr Golden-Brown’s departure was related to the allegations.
Attempts were made to contact Mr Golden-Brown.
According to official documents, Mr Golden-Brown started at ACS in November 2019.
He was the chief executive of NATSIC from 2016 until May 2021, when he was stood down amid allegations he misused funds and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on alcohol, fine dining and ritzy hotels.
At the time, NewsCorp reported Mr Golden-Brown was stood down by the board and stripped of access to NATSIC credit cards, which he allegedly used for the lavish spending.
Mr Golden-Brown has previously denied any wrongdoing, saying previous audits had failed to show any evidence government funds had been misappropriated.
ORIC documents from late 2013 show he was also investigated for his conduct as chief executive of the Barengi Gadjin Land Council in Victoria.
The papers reveal investigators at the time suspected Mr Golden-Brown had misused a Victorian Department of Justice grant worth up to $800,000.
The grant was intended to construct a museum, however ORIC investigators suspected a “substantial amount” was instead used to create eight subsidiary companies and trusts “without the knowledge or approval of the directors of the corporation”.
Other “irregularities” included a directors’ meeting in which quorum was not present, giving Mr Golden-Brown the power to independently approve all payments up to $10,000.
A later document dated July 2014 revealed all issues had been resolved, although Mr Golden-Brown left Barengi Gadjin Land Council in May 2013.
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