Hunter police officer pair suspended, set to face tax fraud charges
Two police officers from the Hunter region have been suspended and face the prospect of significant jail time if convicted after they were charged with tax offences following a covert Australian Taxation Office operation.
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Two serving police officers have been suspended and are facing the prospect of significant jail terms if convicted after being charged as part of a covert operation by the Australian Taxation Office.
The couple – a Hunter highway patrol officer and his partner, who works as a general duties officer in the Port Stephens-Hunter police district – were charged with Commonwealth offences last month.
A NSW Police Force spokeswoman confirmed the pair had been suspended with pay after the pair were each served with court attendance notices on August 5 for three counts of dishonestly cause a risk of loss.
The charges were laid following an ATO investigation and relate to the alleged taxation offences which carry up to five years’ jail.
The spokeswoman confirmed the pair – a male highway patrol officer, 46, and the female general duties officer, 38 — had been suspended with pay.
They are due to face their first appearance in Maitland Local Court on October 29.
The spokeswoman said she could not comment on the investigation and directed questions to the ATO.
But an ATO spokeswoman said the office could not comment “on the tax affairs of any individual or entity due to our obligations of confidentiality under the law”.
“However, your question provides an opportunity to share a timely reminder to only claim what you are entitled to this tax time,’’ she said in a statement.
She later added: “We know the overwhelming majority of Australians are honest and where taxpayers make genuine mistakes we will work with them to overcome them.’’
The statement said over-claiming of tax returns would be detected and “it if is deliberate, penalties may apply and we may even seek to prosecute through the courts’’.
“Refund fraud is not victimless and we take it very seriously. It steals revenue that is used for the whole community and disadvantages Australians who do the right thing,’’ she said.