Luckmore Chirawu pleads guilty to stealing $40k from Services Australia

An employee of Services Australia, lodged false payment claims to steal $40,000 from his workplace and used the funds at hotels in Geelong and Melbourne.

Luckmore Chirawu. Picture: Geelong Advertiser

A former Services Australia employee who stole $40,000 from his workplace which he spent at hotels across Geelong and Melbourne has learned his fate.

Luckmore Chirawu pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Tuesday to obtaining financial advantage by deception.

The 34-year-old narrowly escaped a jail sentence.

The court heard Chirawu, formerly of Highton, submitted a number of false documents to receive Covid and other disaster payments between October 18, 2021 and July 14, 2022.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said the offending was based on “lies and deception”.

Police prosecutor Stan Widdison said Chirawu used his position of trust to create false and fabricated records, and used the identities of real customers, as well as fake names, to make his claims.

“During this period, he lodged a total 55 false claims which resulted in obtaining a benefit which he wasn’t entitled to, and he further submitted 28 claims which did not result in any benefit being paid,” Mr Widdison said.

“Only four of those claims that were attempted are actually rejected by Services Australia; the remainder were withdrawn by the accused upon not receiving an immediate approval,” he said.

The court heard the offending was only uncovered when customers contacted Services Australia and reported false claims had been made in their name.

“The conduct is an example of sustained and deliberate dishonesty and is particularly egregious,” Mr Widdison said.

“This was not one bad decision, but merely a sustained series of offences over a long period of time which only ceased upon his termination of employment.”

Chirawu directly addressed the court and apologised for his actions.

“I’m not a bad person, I’m someone who made a bad decision,” Chirawu said.

The court heard Chirawu claimed the motive for his offending was to try and relieve a large debt, however, Mr Lethbridge said Chirawu’s offending was motivated by “greed” instead of “need”.

Mr Lethbridge decided against jailing Chirawu and placed him on a community corrections order for 18 months.

Chirawu will also have to pay $39,000 back to the Commonwealth.

Originally published as Luckmore Chirawu pleads guilty to stealing $40k from Services Australia