‘He financially raped us’: Geoff Clark slammed by community member

Disgraced Indigenous leader Geoff Clark has been slammed by a member of his own community for his “greed and hatred toward his own people” as he faces jail for stealing almost $1m from Aboriginal groups.

A member of Geoff Clark’s Indigenous community has spoken out about the power the controversial leader had and his “greed and hatred toward his own people”.

Billy McGuinness, 35, gave a rare insight into community life at Framlingham under Clark’s leadership, saying he would shut down anyone who tried to speak the truth, and that it was always “his way or the highway”.

“There are so many mixed emotions I have of what he did to us,” Mr McGuinness wrote in a victim impact statement read out in the County Court on Thursday.

“Geoff has not just spiritually hurt our people, but financially raped us for decades.”

Mr McGuinness said Clark had been in charge at Framlingham, a community of Kirrae Whurrong people living on their traditional lands near Warrnambool, since he was born.

Indigenous leader Geoffrey Clark.

“It’s been 40 years of Geoff and his family being in charge and (having) the final and only word in the community,” he said.

“There is no love and acceptance. He shut down those who spoke as ‘drug -f--ked’ or ‘grog-f---ed’.”

He said Clark and his sons lived “successful lives” in comparison to the rest of the Framlingham community “due to his fraudulent activities”.

“He walked with his head held high, being in full denial and no acknowledgement of his crimes, no remorse whatsoever,” Mr McGuinness said.

“He has always cried innocent and a media witch hunt as a victim, despite knowing the actual truth.”

His damning comments came on the second day of a pre-sentencing hearing where the prosecution is pushing for Clark, 72, to be jailed for stealing almost $1m from Aboriginal groups, Kirrae Whurrong Community Inc, Maar Land Council and Framlingham Aboriginal Trust.

Clark was found guilty of 25 offences Picture: Tamati Smith

Following three separate trials, he was found guilty of 25 offences: 17 counts of theft, four of obtaining financial advantage by deception, two of perjury and one each of knowingly deal with proceeds of crime and giving false testimony.

The crimes were mostly committed while he was the chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, which saw him representing the Indigenous community Australia-wide and rubbing shoulders with politicians across the world.

Prosecutor Justin Lewis said Clark had been living “a double life”.

“He has been offending in parallel with doing good work over a period of many years,” Mr Lewis said.

Clark has had the freedom of being on bail pending the finality of his court case.

But Judge Michael O’Connell today revoked his bail, telling him he would be taken into custody.

The move indicates Judge O’Connell plans to sentence Clark to a period of imprisonment.

The experienced judge will deliver his sentence at a later date.