Hawthorn racism report author Phil Egan charged by fraud squad

Hawthorn racism report author Phil Egan has been charged with 73 offences after allegedly stealing from a body set up to help Indigenous communities.

Egan (right) with former Essendon champion Michael Long.

The author of the explosive Hawthorn racism report has been charged with scores of offences after allegedly stealing from a body set up to help Indigenous communities.

Victoria Police financial crime squad detectives arrested former Richmond forward Phil Egan in February.

The Herald Sun revealed he was expected to be charged over the matter and on Thursday he was hit with 73 offences.

“Detectives from the Financial Crime Squad have charged a man today (Thursday) as part of an investigation into allegations of fraud relating to the management of a Robinvale-based organisation,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

“A 60-year-old Aberfeldie man was charged on summons today with 73 offences including (32 counts of) obtaining financial advantage by deception, (33 counts of) using a false document and (eight counts of) secret commission.”

Secret commission is when you advise someone to enter into a contract with a third person to induce or influence the person you advised.

The alleged fraud happened between 2010 and 2015.

The Herald Sun revealed in December that Mr Egan was under investigation over claims he fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars from Murray Valley Aboriginal
Co-operative, including via a bogus invoices scheme

Mr Egan will appear before Melbourne Magistrates Court on August 11.

Mr Egan said he learned of the charges after the Herald Sun broke the story and would be meeting his legal team at noon on Friday.

The former footballer, who played for Richmond between 1982 and 1990, has previously denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Egan’s adviser, Peter Jess, previously told reporters the police probe was a “sideshow”, adding: “There has been no fraud. Every program was approved and every payment was authorised.”

Mr Egan was the author of a Cultural Safety Review into racism at Hawthorn.

It was commissioned after premiership star Cyril Rioli and eight others alleged mistreatment at the club, including by former Hawks senior coach Alastair Clarkson, ex-Hawthorn football boss and now Brisbane coach Chris Fagan, and former Hawks welfare manager Jason Burt.

All three have strenuously denied all the claims levelled at them.

Some of the allegations involved separation of families and urging one player’s partner to have an abortion because the baby would “ruin their futures”.

The AFL then appointed independent lawyers to look into the saga.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the league completed the investigation with an “imperfect resolution” for the families involved.

Six of the complainants will now lodge their allegations with the Human Rights Commission.