Inside the fall of Troy: Thieving Mount Gambier MP‘s elaborate scheme to steal from disadvantaged kids explained

Independent MP Troy Bell used a “cyclical” system to skim from the top of funds meant to help disadvantaged kids – here is how he did it.

Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell used a complicated web of “investment” dummy accounts, “cyclical” money transfers, strategic invoicing and money buffers to steal more than $400,000 from children.

The Independent MP could face up to 15 years in prison for just one of the 25 charges he was found guilty of following a mammoth three-month trial for stealing from disadvantaged youth.

A District Court jury this week found Bell, 51, had abused a position of authority and trust, by sending fake invoices to Millicent High School – which was closely linked to the Independent Learning Centre (ILC).

Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell leaves court after being found guilty by a District Court jury of stealing money from disadvantaged children. Picture: Leah Smith.

Bell cemented himself as Chairperson of not-for-profit education groups, the South East Education and Training Association (SEETC) and later the Limestone Coast Education and Training Association (LCETA) to steal funds.

The crown case detailed how Bell had taken exclusive control over the finances of the ILC, and took “deliberate” steps to accumulate money in those accounts to create a buffer of funds to be stolen from.

When the funds were collated into the not-for-profits’ accounts – more than what was needed to run the centre – Bell would begin the process of stealing it.

In May 2009, Bell opened the first of three private “conduit” bank accounts in the name of the South Australian Independent Learning Centre (SAILC).

Employed by the education department, Bell would create false invoices to the not-for-profits or directly transfer money from the SEETC and LCETA accounts into the SAILC accounts.

The money was then transferred into his personal or joint account with his wife, and used to offset interest on Bell’s mortgages, pay off credit cards and fund a three-month trip to Los Angeles.

His wife is not accused of any wrong doing.

When staff at the ILC were to be paid their wages, Bell would transfer the money back through the SAILC account into SEETC and LCETA’s accounts to pay them.

On Thursday night, Bell was found guilty of 20 counts of theft and five counts of aggravated dishonest dealings with documents by a District Court jury.

Troy Bell is facing up to 10 years imprisonment for each count of theft, and up to 15 years for each count of aggravated dishonestly dealing with documents. Picture: NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

He was acquitted of one count of dishonestly dealing with documents.

Bell now faces a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment for each count of theft, and up to 15 years for each count of aggravated dishonestly dealing with documents.

The stolen money was received by the ILC to support programs for students who were studying high school courses at several learning centres, primarily at ILC.

The centre was set up to assist those students who had become disengaged with mainstream schooling and who had returned to study through the centre in order to give them an opportunity to obtain their SACE or other qualifications in trade and industry skills.

The crown submitted that Bell may have been motivated to steal due to his increasing financial “ambitions”.

In particular, Bell had taken on a significant debt in the form of bank loans to finance property developments at various Mount Gambier addresses, including Hart St, Heath St and Brolga St.

Bell also used the funds to help purchase and refurbish the Bell family home, which cost $262,000 on April 23, 2009, and was contracted to cost $200,000 to renovate.

Along the case’s long legal history, it was at one stage described as a “political witch-hunt” after the circumstances that led to the ICAC investigation came to light.

A report was made to the then-South Australian ICAC Commissioner, Bruce Lander, to look into Bell by a political opponent.

The prosecution against Troy Bell started after ICAC launches an investigation into Millicent High School. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

That report was made two days after Bell won the election seat in Mount Gambier.

Commissioner Lander then asked the Department of Education to conduct an internal audit on Millicent High School – which uncovered conflicts of interest and internal issues that did not “enliven” the ICAC jurisdiction.

A month later, ICAC launched an official investigation into maladministration at Millicent High School – which later pivoted to focus on Bell.

In 2020, The Supreme Court of South Australia ruled that the methods used in the ICAC investigation against Bell were not unlawful, and he would stand trial.

The trial ran for 52 days over the course of three months, 2850 pages of court transcripts and ended with the jury taking two days and three hours to deliberate.

The jury’s verdict visibly affected Bell, who rocked backwards and let out a big sigh.

As the verdict continued to be delivered, he could be seen mouthing the word “wow”.

Bell nor his legal counsel, Nicholas Healy, commented as they left court on Thursday night and have not confirmed if he will lodge an appeal of the verdict.

Bell was remanded by Judge Rauf Soulio on continuing bail, and will face court again in October, as his counsel prepares to make submissions against any sentence Bell might receive.

Originally published as Inside the fall of Troy: Thieving Mount Gambier MP‘s elaborate scheme to steal from disadvantaged kids explained