Candice Dover charged over NDIS claims by Candice Care company
Ex-workers told a court of the alleged actions of a former director of a community services business charged with over-claiming NDIS funds.
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The director of a former company who has been accused of over-claiming funds from the NDIS had allegedly been told to find an insolvency specialist for her company, a court has heard.
Candice Dover appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court with notebook in hand for a committal hand-up on May 1, shortly before three witnesses were called for cross-examination.
Ms Dover has been charged with eight counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception. No pleas have been entered
She was the director of community services company Candice Care, which had been rebranded to Summa Care, at the time of the alleged offences.
Counsel Sophie Harburg called the first witness to be cross-examined, who had reported Ms Dover to the NDIS fraud department when she began to suspect her employer.
In questioning by defence barrister Lachlan Ygoa-McKeown, she told the court Ms Dover called her “frantically” in December 2019, informing the witness some payments from NDIS had been suspended.
The court heard Ms Dover allegedly overclaimed the funds she required from the NDIS to service five clients, who had in actuality not been serviced by Candice Care.
The witness said Ms Dover explained to her over the phone she had been flustered over an investigation by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission when she had been drawing down funds from the NDIS.
It was here when her suspicions started to form, the witness told the court.
The court heard in a phone call to the same witness about a day later, Ms Dover expressed concern over not being able to get ahold of the NDIS fraud department and feared “going to jail”.
Ms Dover was also concerned she would not be able to pay wages over the Christmas period due to the tight funds, the witness said.
She had told the witness the company’s financial officer would have usually picked up on such a mistake, but had not done so “on time,” the court heard.
The second witness called, another employee, said she had been aware of phone calls being made to clients, suggesting they move to another provider.
She told the court she was also aware funds had been over-claimed in regards to five clients.
The third witness told the court he had been told of the financial issues by Ms Dover.
He noted the company’s not-for-profit status had been revoked and he felt Ms Dover did not understand the potential of tax backpay.
The witness said he discovered some NDIS clients had been moved from Candice Care to a new company named Candice’s House without new agreements.
The witness said he sent team members out to have new agreements signed, as Candice’s House was “the one receiving all the money apparently”.
He also told the court accountants had stated the company’s management of finance was not compliant, as the company was insolvent but still trading.
Ms Dover had shown him an email sent by accountants advising her to seek out an insolvency specialist.
Ms Harburg asked for the remainder of the committal hand-up to be adjourned for the NDIS to provide more material.
The matter was adjourned to July 10.
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Originally published as Candice Dover charged over NDIS claims by Candice Care company
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