Prosecution tells court ICAC intercepted Troy Bell’s phone to Isobel Redmond

A phone call between an MP accused of theft and former Liberal leader Isobel Redmond was intercepted by ICAC and will be played to a jury, a court has heard.

An intercepted phone call capturing the moment an alleged thieving MP confides in a former Liberal leader will be played to a jury, a court has heard.

Mt Gambier MP Troy Stephen Bell is standing trial in the District Court after pleading not guilty to 20 counts of theft and six counts of dishonest dealings with documents.

He is alleged to have taken funds from the not-for-profit Independent Learning Centre (ILC) – an organisation he set up in 2006 to encourage at-risk and disadvantaged children to further their education.

The allegations also relate to two other not-for-profit associations in conjunction with the ILC – the South East Education and Training Association (SEETA) and the Limestone Coast Education and Training Association (LCETA).

During the prosecution’s continued opening address on Wednesday, Jemma Litster told the jury ICAC officers had executed a search warrant of Mr Bell’s home on May 10, 2016, where unsigned minutes of purported LCETA meetings were recovered from electronic devices.

Officers also uncovered his phone, which was subject to an intercept warrant, revealing a phone call between Mr Bell and former Liberal leader Isobel Redmond just two days later in which Mr Bell can be heard commenting on the allegations, she said.

“(During the call), Mr Bell commented on the allegations that had been put to him at the time of the search,” she said.

“Mr Bell stated the Education and Youth Services had ‘expended and/or possessed LCETA’s funds at the time when LCETA was being wound up’.

“‘There was a changeover from me acting as, um, director of LCETA … I think I have got a way around it’,” Ms Litster quoted Mr Bell as saying.

Later that same day, Mr Bell allegedly spoke to his wife on the phone, which was also subject to an intercept warrant.

Troy Bell is seen leaving District Court after his first appearance. Picture: NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

“‘They are going to get me on these two things … The cows come home’,” Ms Litster quoted Mr Bell as saying.

Ms Litster said a recording of the conversation between Mr Bell and Ms Redmond would be played in court.

On Wednesday, a court heard the prosecution’s case was “much ado about nothing” – with Mr Bell’s counsel Nicholas Healy strongly denying the allegations.

During his short opening address, Mr Healy told the jury many of the bank transactions to be presented as evidence would “be in dispute”.

It is alleged he used the funds to ease debts, on renovations and flights to Los Angeles.

A jury of 15 people were empanelled earlier this week and will hear evidence for up to four months.

The trial continues on Monday.

Originally published as Prosecution tells court ICAC intercepted Troy Bell’s phone to Isobel Redmond