Former Surf Life Saving NSW boss Matthew Hanks used phantom car delivery fees in $1.3m fraud case

Ex-Surf Life Saving NSW boss Matthew Hanks did deals with car businesses to charge phantom dealer delivery fees on the charity’s vehicles and put the extra money into a fund for him, the Supreme Court has heard.

Disgraced former Surf Life Saving NSW boss Matthew Hanks did deals with local car businesses to charge phantom dealer delivery fees on the charity’s vehicles and put the extra money into a fund for him, the Supreme Court has heard.

The fraud, which netted him more than $1,318,000 involved adding up to $2000 to the invoice of every car, when SLS was exempt from dealer delivery charges.

Despite pleading guilty to six counts of fraud, Hanks’ lawyers and the prosecution are arguing over the facts of the case.

Former Surf Life Saving NSW boss Matthew Hanks leaving Wollongong police station in 2017. Picture: Madeline Crittenden

Car salesman Matthew Baltussen, who worked for dealerships Bill Buckle and Phil McCarroll Toyota when he dealt with Hanks, said the money would accrue and he believed Hanks was using it to buy more vehicles for SLS.

There is no suggestion the car dealers did anything wrong. Mr Baltussen said he got permission from the owners of both dealerships before entering into the unique arrangement with Hanks.

The details of how Hanks, 52, got away with eight years of fraud have been revealed after he pleaded guilty to scamming a total of $1,839,845.

SLS NSW accounts officer Carolyn Tremble said the former general manager would rush through invoices after her pay run was over on a Thursday and “insist” she paid them immediately. This made it difficult to check the invoices.

Matthew Hanks.

Matthew Hanks.

He also created a “cloud of confusion” in the finance department when he kept changing details of the $1.6 million fleet of cars and who was driving them, Ms Trembly said.

Hanks admitted defrauding the organisation of $400,000 through invoicing the SLS NSW printing work to his own company, See Hear Speak, but subcontracting it out to cheaper operators, pocketing the difference.

Volunteer finance director Philippa Butt told the court that after she joined in 2013, she asked Hanks if there was a “related party” relationship with the printing company which needed to be declared and he had said there was not.

Hanks also admitted pocketing $121,000 by using a fictitious name to create a false invoice for construction work done at the Port Macquarie Surf Club.

The court was told it was part of a $2 million grant made to the charity in the 2006/2007 season from the Department of Sport and Recreation.

Department manager Amelia Jenkins told the court that $300,000 of that $2 million was for Port Macquarie and Hanks had said there were “dramas” and delays at the club.

The deceptions were uncovered in the middle of 2016 and Hanks admitted to the fraud when he resigned from the organisation.
His two northern beaches mansions and $490,000 yacht were seized in civil proceedings brought by SLA NSW.

He now lives in Wollongong with his partner and young child.

The hearing continues before Justice John Pickering.