Ex-education boss’ brother pleads guilty over his part elaborate funding rort

Robert Napoli has admitted to playing a key role in his brother’s “elaborate” funding rort where millions was siphoned from Victorian schools.

Sacked Education Department big wig Nino Napoli was last week jailed for rorting money from some of Victoria’s most disadvantaged schools. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Nino Napoli’s brother has admitted his involvement in the former Education Department fat cat’s rorting of funds from some of Victoria’s most disadvantaged schools.

Robert Napoli, 52, pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to fraud in the County Court on Monday.

His plea came as the prosecution dropped all charges against his wife Domenica Napoli.

It follows toupee-wearing Nino Napoli and their cousin Carlo Squillacioti being jailed last week over the banker schools funding rort in which Napoli, as director of school resources, directed more than $500,000 of work to a series of companies run by his relatives.

He also used his position to make sure invoices to the companies were paid, without question, despite the services sometimes having not been delivered at all.

Nino Napoli’s cousin Carlo Squillacioti was also jailed for his involvement in the rort. Picture: Paul Loughnan

On July 14, Napoli, 65, was sentenced to three years and 10 months over the elaborate fraud and his inept attempt to cover his tracks from IBAC investigators.

He was also ordered to pay back the department $95,000.

Sending him straight to jail, County Court judge George Georgiou was scathing of Napoli, saying he had used his position of authority as general manager of the Schools Finance Unit to lead the years-long conspiracy.

Judge Georgiou said Napoli’s fraud flew in the face of government purchasing rules aimed at ensuring the taxpayer got value for money, and which encouraged fair competition among suppliers.

The sentencing came more than a year after Nino Napoli pleaded guilty to two charges: conspiring to defraud and perverting the course of justice in May 2020.

Squillacioti was sentenced last week to two years and five months jail — and ordered to repay $58,000 — for his involvement in the scheme.

In January 2017, members of the family were charged after an Independent Broad-Based Anti-corruption Commission probe found “serious and systemic corruption” among public officials between 2007 and 2014.

The corruption watchdog identified some $1.9 million as going to Napoli’s relatives and associates, but dozens of charges were later dropped and the prosecution case involved the siphoning of half a million dollars.

Napoli is said to have blown his share on wine, a TV and the upkeep of his lavish toupee.

As IBAC investigators circled his web of deceit, one of his mates was recorded by a surveillance team telling Napoli’s son, “we’re trying to cover for your dad here, he’s in a bit of strife”.

Napoli went on to try and hoodwink IBAC investigators by making them give false answers at the commission’s closed-door examinations, in one conversation telling a mate, “we have to get your story right or I am shot — gone”.

In 2014, Napoli was recorded telling Squillacioti that if IBAC investigators seized a spreadsheet he kept at Squillacioti’s business “I might as well be locked up … that just puts us in f--kin’ jail”.

He also admitted to a work colleague he had told “a few porkies” to IBAC, and tried to downplay his wholesale frauds on the government as being part of his Italian “culture”.

“That’s family,” he said.

Judge Georgiou said Napoli and Squillacioti’s crimes undermined faith in the public service and meant law-abiding businesses missed out on government work.

Napoli must serve at least 23 months behind bars before he will be eligible for parole, while a non-parole period of 15 months was set for Squillacioti.

Robert Napoli will front a pre-sentencing hearing in September before being sentenced at a later date.