Hawks racism report scribe Phil Egan swindled almost $800K from Indigenous health centre: court

The author of the Hawthorn racism report “secretly gained” almost $800k through fake invoices from an Indigenous community health centre, court documents claim.

Hawthorn racism report scribe Phil Egan has been charged with 73 offences over allegedly swindling up to $780K from an Indigenous community health centre. Melbourne Magistrates Court. Picture: Nicki Connolly.

Hawthorn racism report scribe Phil Egan “secretly gained” almost $800k through fake invoices from an Indigenous community health centre while he served as its chief executive, court documents claim.

The former Richmond player, who authored the explosive 2022 report into allegations of racism at the Hawks, has been accused of swindling $779,246.72 through 52 invoices paid by the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-Operation.

Egan served as chief executive and executive consultant at the publicly funded organisation between 2010 and 2015, which provides crisis, health, education, employment, aged and child care services to the Indigenous community in Robinvale, near Mildura.

The 60-year-old faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with 73 fraud offences.

Speaking for the first time since being charged last week, Mr Egan, said after his court appearance that the timing of the charges was questionable.

“The timing of these allegations and the charges, given my involvement in the Hawthorn FC Cultural Safety Review, deserves questioning, to say the least,” he said.

“The attempts in this process to crush my reputation and diminish my resolve have failed. In fact, my resilience and strength has grown throughout and in time, the truth will be revealed.

“Today began the court process of clearing my name of the police charges relating to my leadership roles at MVAC, 10 to 14 years ago.”

Phil Egan “secretly gained” almost $800k through fake invoices. Picture: Nicki Connolly

“I stand with my community, family, friends and colleagues as a strong and proud Muthi Muthi / Gunditjmarra man.

“I am proud of my achievements during my leadership of MVAC between 2010-14.”

Mr Egan said when he started at MVAC it was in a “dire” situation.

“The fact that MVAC survived, and continued to operate effectively, was a significant achievement given that on my appointment in November 2010, I was faced with the challenge of an insolvent organisation with a significant tax and superannuation debt and major compliance issues at the childcare centre.,” he said.

According to court documents, MVAC’s succeeding chief executive Paul O’Neill complained to Mildura police in 2018 about his suspicions of alleged fraud, with his letter sent to the financial crime squad for further investigation in 2020.

Egan, from Aberfeldie, was among four former staff and four contractors who Mr O’Neill accused of causing “financial loss” to the Indigenous health centre, by obtaining financial advantage that they weren’t entitled to, or providing “inflated invoices” or claiming provision of services there was “little to no evidence” of.

The ex-Richmond player was charged with 73 offences. Picture: Nicki Connolly

The names of other staff and contractors were redacted in publicly released court documents.

While the police probe focused on the alleged fake invoices, further accusations were made about a missing vehicle, and backdated and non-commercial employment contracts that resulted in “large termination payouts” and the transfer of cars for three ex-employees.

Egan received a wage of $682,212.34 over five years at the Indigenous Co-op, plus a contract termination payment of $141,564.07, for a total earning of more than $820k.

But he’s accused of receiving an “additional amount” of $779k that was “secretly gained from supplier invoices”.

“MVAC paid a total $911,534.72 based on 52 invoices supplied to it for various projects, of which, Egan received most of the funds in his personal or business bank account,” court documents allege.

The fresh details come as long-serving Magistrate Peter Reardon released a summary of the alleged offending, rejecting attempts by Egan’s barrister Daniel Sala and the prosecution to stop the disclosure.

“I’ve been reading about this in the back pages of the Sun for the better part of weeks,” His Honour said.

The magistrate asked what the difference was in providing court information to the public when details had already been furnished in “the sport section, the better section” of the newspaper.

Questioning why prosecutors would fight against disclosure, Mr Reardon said, “You’re the one bringing the charges and you’re saying the public doesn’t have a right to know the context?”

His Honour noted that the remand summary of the allegations against Egan was “non-inflammatory and not prejudicial, anymore than a person being charged and brought before the court”.

Egan, wearing a blue jumper and camel coloured pants, sat in the front row of the courtroom on Friday, standing briefly when asked by Mr Reardon whether he understood his bail conditions.

“Thank you, Your Honour,” he confirmed.

He was placed on bail, and ordered to reappear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on October 30.