Fake prince Joel Morehu-Barlow owes Queensland $10.5 million

FAKE Tahitian prince and Queensland Health fraudster Joel Morehu-Barlow still owes the State Government more than $10.5 million but there’s a strong chance he’ll never pay a cent of it back.

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FAKE Tahitian prince and Queensland Health fraudster Joel Morehu-Barlow still owes the State Government more than $10.5 million but is unlikely to ever repay the debt.

Barlow, who is now eligible to be granted parole, defrauded the Queensland Government of $16.69 million and was sentenced to 14 years in jail in 2013.

About $11.88 million was recovered by authorities however, with interest added to the owing amount, the total outstanding for Morehu-Barlow has crept up to more than $10.5 million.

But the State Government is unlikely to get another cent from Morehu-Barlow, as authorities plan to kick him out of Australia upon his release from Wacol’s Wolston jail.

The total money owed by Joel Morehu-Barlow has crept up to more than $10.5 million.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton last month confirmed the New Zealand fraudster will be deported when he receives parole.

A spokesman for Queensland Health said the department had recovered $16.6 million or 99 per cent of the money owed.

However the spokesman later confirmed the department effectively paid itself back through government funds with more than $4 million through the State Government’s in-house insurance – the Queensland Government Insurance Fund.

Treasury documents state the fund is a “self-insurance arrangement into which government agencies pay premiums to meet the cost of claims and to build reserves to cover the cost of future potential liabilities”.

Despite these payments the claim against Morehu-Barlow remains. Assets worth $11.8 million were restrained by the then Crime and Misconduct Commission and given to the State Government, a spokesman said. No money has been seized since 2013.

Joel Morehu-Barlow arrives at the watch-house after his arrest in 2011.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad this year said the Government would pursue Morehu-Barlow for millions of dollars in outstanding debt.

However legal experts said if he was deported, or filed for bankruptcy, he would be unlikely to repay any money.

“The total amount outstanding is $10,538,260.96,” a spokesman for the Crime and Corruption Commission said.

“The CCC has restrained and forfeited to the State of Queensland all known property belonging to Morehu-Barlow,” he said. “The then CMC did an extensive confiscation investigation and is confident all fraudulently obtained monies and assets that could be restrained and forfeited have been identified and finalised.”