Aaron Alexander: Gungahlin United Football Club’s former president, facing fraud charges
Aaron David Alexander is accused of rorting more than $100,000 from the Gungahlin United Football Club. Now he is looking for the taxpayer to stump up for a defence lawyer.
Canberra Star
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An alleged fraudster accused of lining his own pockets by repeatedly pilfering money from one of Australia’s largest soccer clubs is going cap-in-hand for taxpayer help to defend himself against the accusations.
Former Gungahlin United Football Club president Aaron David Alexander, 48, was arrested earlier this year after a long-running police investigation culminated in more than 100 charges of obtaining property by deception.
Alexander, a US Citizen, returned to the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where he said he “has obviously lost employment” since being charged.
“I am seeking alternative employment,” he said.
Alexander’s previous lawyers have quit the case, and he appeared self-represented on Monday.
He told the court he had applied for legal aid but was yet to hear back.
He has also approached a second private lawyer but said: “at the moment, it’s a cost thing”.
The case is listed for a five-day hearing in November, which Magistrate Beth Campbell said was a “significant amount of court time”.
Prosecutors have described the case against Alexander as “complex”.
Alexander, according to documents filed in court, had styled himself as the financial saviour of the club, telling the media before he was charged, that he had used his “solid understanding of how to run a business” to turn the club’s finances around.
Police allege Alexander used club money to bankroll personal expenses including his leased Land Rover and to pay parking fines and speeding tickets.
The club’s then-treasurer, Debra Hampson, was the first to become suspicious of Alexander after he withdrew $3000 from the club’s bank account, said he “couldn’t remember” what it was for and only returned the money, in cash, after “eight weeks of consistent requests”, according to court documents.
Ms Hampson would go on to resign in September 2017, having repeatedly urged the club to sort its financial systems.
Members of the club’s executive committee confronted Alexander at his home in July 2018, armed with bank statements which allegedly showed more than $8000 from the club account had paid for his leased Land Rover.
Alexander was sacked on the spot.
The committee later reported its suspicions to police.
Alexander returns to court in September for an administrative listing, ahead of his hearing.
