‘Could end up in Bogota’: Request for Australian Federal Police to add ex-AFL umpire Troy Pannell to a watchlist

A former AFL umpire is accused of ripping off his employer to the tune of $8.7m and lawyers are concerned he could try to flee the country.

Troy Pannell umpiring an AFL game in 2014. Picture: Colleen Petch

A controversial former AFL umpire is on the run after being accused of masterminding an $8.7m fraud.

An arrest warrant is set to be issued for Troy Pannell after he failed to appear at a Victorian Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday over claims he ripped off his employer, logistics company SeaRoad Shipping.

Mr Pannell is accused of masterminding an $8.7m fraud.

Lawyers asked the Australian Federal Police to add Mr Pannell to a watchlist, saying the umpire – who has invested heavily in race horses and was at the centre of a free kicks furore in 2016 – could even end up “in Bogota”, the capital of Colombia.

Mr Pannell was ­accused in court documents of pulling off the alleged scam on Sea­Road – where he worked as a senior manager in Port Melbourne – by creating a fake company that purported to ­repair damaged containers for $800 to $900 each.

SeaRoad allegedly paid the firm, Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors (ICSA), $8.7m from 2015 to 2024.

Mr Pannell is accused of ripping off his employer, logistics company SeaRoad Shipping. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

The scheme came unstuck after an eagle-eyed SeaRoad finance manager discovered the company was not registered for GST during a compliance review last year.

Investigations then found Mr Pannell was “the sole ­director and shareholder” of ICSA.

In a letter from Sea­Road to Mr Pannell in October, tendered in the civil court case, the company said: “SeaRoad is satisfied you have committed serious misconduct. You have been the sole shareholder and director of ICSA from 2010 to date. We find your response that you did not know you held these positions to be fanciful.”

Mr Pannell was embroiled in controversy in 2016 when he paid 17 free kicks to the Western Bulldogs and just one to Adelaide in a match. He ­officiated in 219 AFL matches from 2005 to 2018.

Mr Pannell failed to appear at a Victorian Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday. Picture: Colleen Petch.

Court documents reveal Mr Pannell had a substantial “ownership interest in racehorses”.

The documents show he had authority at Sea­Road to approve purchase ­orders up to $5000.

“Over the years, I received purchase orders from Mr Pannell for ICSA,” an affidavit from SeaRoad’s chief financial officer alleges.

“I approved them because I recognised the vendor name from prior purchase orders raised by Mr Pannell and I trusted Mr Pannell would only raise a purchase order if the work was required and he had received a reasonable quote for the work from ICSA. The purchase orders for ICSA always tended to be for about $800 or a little more per container.

Mr Pannell had a substantial ownership interest in racehorses, court documents show. Picture: Facebook/racing.com 2019

“I never independently checked ICSA or its services and relied on Mr Pannell to have followed the required process and approved the work … it was Mr Pannell’s responsibility to satisfy himself that ICSA had completed the work.”

“SeaRoad has not been able to identify the services provided by ICSA.

“ICSA has been paid in ­excess of $8.5m by SeaRoad since 2015. That is a significant amount of money and suggestive of extensive services. Therefore, SeaRoad’s inability to identify any evidence of services being provided to it is also of great concern. In light of the above, SeaRoad is concerned that ICSA … and Mr Pannell may have colluded to defraud SeaRoad of a significant amount of money.”

Jonathan B Davis KC, for SeaRoad, said he believed Mr Pannell was in South Australia, but there were fears he could flee the country.

Adding him to the AFP watchlist would “save us from coming back and saying that we’ve missed an opportunity and instead of going interstate Mr Pannell is in Bogota or similar”, he said.

It is understood the arrest warrant is due to be processed within days. Justice Andrew Watson adjourned the case until June 6.

Originally published as ‘Could end up in Bogota’: Request for Australian Federal Police to add ex-AFL umpire Troy Pannell to a watchlist