Roland Hirokazu Simons pleads guilty to 11 criminal charges including two counts of corruption

A greedy senior Education Department official who secretly pocketed kickbacks at a potential value of $2.5m has been sentenced in the Brisbane District Court.

A greedy Education Department official has been jailed for secretly pocketing nearly $200,000 in kickbacks.

A “greedy” senior Education Department official who secretly pocketed $192,000 in kickbacks and claimed his culpability was lower because of “undiagnosed autism” has been jailed for at least 18 months.

Roland Hirokazu Simons, 52, appeared before District Court Judge John Allen in Brisbane on Friday where he pleaded guilty to 11 criminal charges including two counts of corruption.

Crown Prosecutor David Nardone submitted that Simons received a total of $192,000 including a $145,824 kickback from coaccused Michael John Pomplun - an old school friend - and a $30,360 payment on which the fraud charge is based which relates to an opinion survey business called School Measures.

Simons, who has a PhD and held the title of “director of performance monitoring and reporting” within the department, pleaded guilty to eight counts of misconduct in public office, two counts of corruption and one count of fraud as an employee worth $30,000 or more.

Mr Nardone described the payments Simons received as “not a straight kickback” arrangement because work under the contracts was completed.

Judge Allen sentenced Simons to a six-year head sentence, with parole eligibility after 18 months, telling him he accepted his moral culpability for his crimes was “marginally less” than that of a normal person because of his undiagnosed mental health disorders, and that his personality may make him vulnerable in prison.

Defence counsel Saul Holt KC told the court that Simons’ crimes were “nothing like” disgraced corrupt ex politician Gordon Nuttall and Simons’ actions were “bewildering”.

Former politician and state minister Gordon Nuttall. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Mr Holt said his client’s life had been destroyed by his actions and he had contemplated suicide and was sorry for what he had done.

Mr Holt said that Simons had lost his job, his wife had left him, the family home had been sold leaving him with just $100,000.

Simons has repaid the $192,000 to the state after civil confiscation action was taken against him.

He said that psychologist Peter Jordan had recently diagnosed Simons with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression and was never likely to ever fully recover.

Dr Jordan also said Simons’ motive for his crimes was also his “sense of entitlement and a degree of grandiosity”.

In sentencing Judge Allen said Simons “received significant financial benefits as a result of” his crimes.

“I accept not solely motivated by personal financial gain,” he added.

“Your protracted dishonesty was a gross breach of public trust,” he said.

“The potential gain from School Measures was huge, the realised benefit was substantial,” Judge Allen said in reference to the potential value of $2.5m.

Pomplun, who was awarded a $362,630 departmental contract for work between 2015 and 2018, is due to be sentenced later on Friday on five counts of misconduct of public office.

Another coaccused Trent Michael George Stollery has pleaded guilty to two counts of give/offer benefit to public officer.

Web designer Trent Stollery leaving the Brisbane District Court. Picture: John Gass

Stollery, whose wife was friends with Simons’ wife, was paid $33,000 by the department in 2017 for creating websites and he transferred $16,500 of this to Simons, the court heard.

Neither wife is accused of any wrongdoing.

In 2018 the department also paid Stollery’s website design business $77,000, of which he transferred $38,500 to Simons.

Stollery is currently facing sentencing before Judge Allen on Friday.

Co-offender Sarah Regina Esposo was last year sentenced to a wholly-suspended three years’ jail, and ordered her to be of good behaviour for three years for a single charge of misconduct in public office.

Joanna Maria Kho, who did not work for the department, earlier pleaded guilty to fraud and misconduct in public office and was sentenced to three years prison, suspended for four years and was ordered to pay $30,360 compensation.