Former NGV Employee Charged Over Alleged $8m Phone Resale Scheme

A former senior employee of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has been charged after Victoria's anti-corruption body alleged he funnelled about $8 million from the gallery over a six-year period.

According to the allegations, the former staffer used an NGV account to purchase mobile phones worth roughly $8 million, which he then sold for personal financial gain.

Victoria's anti-corruption body has charged the former employee with seven counts of theft and one count of misconduct in public office in connection with the alleged scheme.

The National Gallery of Victoria is one of Australia's major public art institutions, and the case adds to scrutiny of financial oversight and internal controls at publicly funded cultural organizations in the state.

Further details of the case, including when the alleged conduct began and how it was uncovered, were not included in the available reporting. The matter is proceeding through Victoria's legal and anti-corruption processes.