Court: Principal, family accused of embezzling millions from Kimberley College
It’s been nearly four years since a former principal and two family members, accused of embezzling a fortune from a college, were charged with fraud.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A former private school principal accused of being involved in a multimillion-dollar fraud, as well as his co-accused daughter and son-in-law, have had the case against them progress nearly four years since their arrests.
Former Kimberley College principal Paul Thomson, his daughter Amy Leigh Ferguson and her husband Kevin Robert Ferguson were each charged in September 2019 over an alleged scheme in which $4.6 million was siphoned from the prestigious Logan school, south of Brisbane.
Ms Ferguson is charged with eight counts of fraud, two counts of using a restricted computer without consent and one count each of extortion and perjury.
Her husband is charged with three counts of receiving tainted property and one count of fraud.
Mr Thomson is facing four counts of fraud and one count each of extortion, false declarations and using a computer without consent.
The matter is currently being heard before Brisbane Magistrates Court for a committal hearing after lengthy delays since the initial 2019 charges were laid.
A former Kimberly College deputy principal, Ystyn Francis, told the hearing on Tuesday Mr Thomson and Ms Ferguson needed to give approval before a staff member could make any purchases for the school.
Mr Francis said the board of directors did not need to give approval for staff expenditures.
When asked if Mr Thomson and “by extent his daughter” Ms Ferguson had “complete authority” to make approvals for staff-made purchases, Mr Francis said that was his understanding of how operations at the school worked.
The committal hearing was adjourned to Wednesday for further mention.
Meanwhile, Mr Thomson’s wife, Jennifer Margaret Thomson, was charged with one count of receiving tainted property in connection to the alleged embezzlement case.
The charge against her is up for review in Brisbane Magistrates Court on March 23.
Originally published as Court: Principal, family accused of embezzling millions from Kimberley College
Two shots heard before victim collapsed outside Hervey Bay unit
A young man is fighting for life after being shot possibly twice outside his grandmother’s unit in Hervey Bay, with neighbours reporting hearing gunfire near a school.
Man charged after dramatic pursuit in alleged stolen vehicle
A man has been charged after a dramatic police pursuit in an allegedly stolen Great Wall 4WD through Brisbane’s west that led to an arrest in Ipswich.