Disability worker who allegedly defrauded NDIS nabbed at airport after tip-offs

A disability worker charged with over $300,000 fraud against the National Disability Insurance Scheme has appeared in court after he was nabbed at Brisbane Airport.

A disability worker charged with fraud against the National Disability Insurance Scheme made more than 500 false claims, a court has been told.

Jonathan Nguyen, 36, appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday, charged with a Commonwealth offence of obtaining property by deception.

The charge alleges Nguyen did something with the intention of dishonestly causing a loss to a Commonwealth entity.

A police prosecutor opposed bail because of the seriousness of the offence and substantial amount of money allegedly obtained by Nguyen, while he was a disability service provider.

The prosecutor told the court Nguyen made 569 false claims against the NDIS, totalling $314,000.

The court was told the evidence against Nguyen was strong, with the money having been paid into his bank account.

Magistrate Colin Strofield granted bail on seven conditions, including that Nguyen was not to operate or participate in a business or enterprise associated with the NDIS or provide any service for the NDIS.

He is not to leave Queensland or Australia, he has to surrender his passport, report four times a week to police, remain living at a Heathwood address and have no contact with prosecution witnesses.

Nguyen is to reappear in court on July 4.

National Disability Insurance Agency investigators and the Australian Federal Police intercepted Nguyen at Brisbane Airport as he returned to Australia on Friday.

The investigation by NDIA’s fraud team came after a series of tip-offs.

NDIS and Government Services Minister Bill Shorten. Picture: Alison Wynd

The NDIS, a federal government scheme, supports about half a million Australians with a disability.

NDIS and Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said the new Labor Government vowed a tougher crackdown on anyone attempting to take money from the plan of people on the NDIS.

“This action taken by the NDIA’s fraud team is evidence that this government won’t allow our participants’ funding to be the target of any criminal activity,” he said.

Mr Shorten said he was also very concerned that organised-crime actors were making fraudulent transactions of the NDIS, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protect participants and the scheme from criminals.

The arrest in Brisbane comes after the NDIA, in a separate investigation, arrested five people from Western Sydney last week for allegedly defrauding the NDIS of more than $2m.

A sixth person linked to the NSW syndicated was arrested and charged on Thursday.

NDIA chief executive Martin Hoffman resigned this week. Picture: Jono Searle

During the federal election campaign, Labor committed to hiring an extra 380 agency staff and crack down on providers that were rorting the system and the NDIA’s use of consultants and private law firms.

“For a decade, we watched successive Liberal governments mismanage the NDIS and blame people with disability for being unaffordable,” Mr Shorten said. “This stops now.”

The controversial boss of the NDIA, Martin Hoffman, resigned this week amid speculation of his future under a Labor government that had been highly critical of his performance in the role.

Mr Hoffman on Wednesday confirmed he would step down from the agency on July 2, with a replacement expected to be finalised in coming months.

The NDIS is expected to cost almost $36 billion in the 2022-23 financial year and that figure is forecast to keep increasing.

According to the Parliamentary Budget Office, if the number of people in the scheme continued to grow as expected, by 2032 it would cost between $59bn and $75bn annually.

Originally published as Disability worker who allegedly defrauded NDIS nabbed at airport after tip-offs