Australian Federal Police officer pleads guilty after $17K credit card stealing spree

A hero police officer has admitted to going on a taxpayer-funded credit card stealing spree. See the huge charges he racked up.

Ex AFP officer Spiro Kalliris pleaded guilty to going on a $17,000 taxpayer funded credit card stealing spree. Picture: Jeremy Piper

A hero police officer decorated for his courage under fire while attempting to save the life of a fallen officer has pleaded guilty to going on a $17,000 taxpayer funded credit card stealing spree.

Spiro Kalliris, 56, was a Superintendent with the Australian Federal Police AFP Protective Services responsible for guarding for some of the nation’s most important assets before he started using his police credit card to steal from them in what has been called a “gross breach of trust”.

The married father-of-three was initially charged after an investigation by the former corruption watchdog the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI) with 69 separate counts of dishonestly causing a loss to the AFP. The charges were reduced and rolled into two.

Ex-AFP officer Spiro Kalliris arrives at Parramatta Court earlier this year. Picture: Jeremy Piper

It has been revealed Kalliris used the AFP credit card to buy dozens of household-type items such as shoes, clothing, a play station, motor vehicle GPS, phone chargers, gym equipment and even white goods such as a fridge and microwave over a period of several years.

Some items taken were listed as coming from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and Defence sites such as Garden Island where Kalliris was formerly the Officer in Charge of protecting the site.

The court was told the offences were not a sophisticated racket but did include some planning because Kalliris had used police officers junior in rank to him to sign off on fraudulent credit card purchases.

A Senate estimates hearing has previously been told a number AFP officers were investigated during the case known as Operation Nambung which involved the siphoning off AFP assets, misusing credit cards as well as Australian Defence Force-funded assets for personal use.

Kalliris received a string of Commissioners’ commendation for extracting fatally wounded fellow AFP officer Adam Dunning.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Lesa Gale told that hearing the investigation began in 2019 in relation to the alleged misuse of an ADF vehicle and further inquiries revealed the extent of the alleged frauds.

When News Corp broke the story, AFP sources revealed they were warned not to talk about the investigation “in case it sparks a royal commission” into the wider activities of AFP some officers.

Greens Justice Spokesman Senator David Shoebridge has told the Parliament the officers “basically treated the AFP like their own personal Bing Lee store.

Yet while Kalliris was charged, two officers were sacked and another allowed to quietly resign over the scandal. They were not charged.

Lawyer for Kalliris, Gordon Elliot, said he had a distinguished 34-year career with the AFP which only went off the rails in the last few years.

Mr Elliot told the court a report by psychologist Dr Tim Watson-Munroe revealed there was a “nexus” between Kalliris’ offending and his service overseas particularly experiencing the death of two fellow officers.

Kalliris used the AFP credit card to buy dozens of household-type items such as shoes, clothing, a play station, motor vehicle GPS, phone chargers.

Kalliris received a string of Commissioners’ commendation for his acts of bravery during his long career including extracting fatally wounded fellow AFP officer Adam Dunning.

Kalliris performed CPR after Dunning was shot by a sniper in an ambush while they were on patrol in Honiara in The Solomon Islands. He also recovered the body of another fellow officer who drowned while they were on an overseas deployment.

The court heard that Kalliris led an emergency response against riots in the Solomon Islands, and during his work was stabbed, and bitten by a HIV positive detainee while on duty at the Villawood Detention Centre.

The court was told he was also injured by a block of concrete hitting him in the head while on duty in Nauru.

The Crown submitted that Kalliris’ offending was extremely serious and asked for him to be given a full time jail sentence for his crimes.

Magistrate Peter Feather said while Kalliris’ actions were a “gross breach of trust” and he could have faced 10 years in jail, he accepted Kalliris’ actions may well have been linked to his service and evidence given that he has since suffered from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Magistrate Feather fined Kalliris $5000 and put him on a three year good behaviour bond saying he took into account his remorse, plea of guilty, full restitution and his otherwise distinguished service to the Australian community.

Originally published as Australian Federal Police officer pleads guilty after $17K credit card stealing spree