Arabic version: رفض الإفراج بكفالة عن متهم باحتيال على نظام التأمين الوطني للإعاقة بعد توقيفه في المطار

According to ABC News, Foluso Omole, 38, has been refused bail after Australian Federal Police officers arrested him at Adelaide Airport on Friday in connection with an alleged $5 million National Disability Insurance Scheme fraud plot. The dual Australian and Nigerian citizen appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.

A prosecutor told the court that Omole had bought a one-way ticket to Nigeria and was preparing to leave Australia when he was arrested. The prosecutor said it appeared Omole had sent significant funds to Nigeria during the alleged offending, where his wife lives, and had “cut ties” in Adelaide.

The court heard Omole was working as an NDIS coordinator and operated two businesses employing several staff at the time of the alleged offending. Prosecutors alleged he received information improperly from a woman employed by the National Disability Insurance Agency over six years and used it to obtain benefits fraudulently. The woman has also been charged and was due to appear in court on Thursday.

Omole has not yet entered pleas to one count of dealing with proceeds of indictable crime over $1 million and one count of dealing with money or property valued at more than $1 million that is proceeds of crime. His lawyer, Mark Twiggs, said the charges were denied and told the court his client had planned to travel on a return ticket to London that was bought before any raid on the woman’s home.

Magistrate Patrick Hill found Omole posed a flight risk and refused the bail application. Hill said the question of whether the travel was on a one-way ticket to Nigeria or a return ticket to London affected the court’s assessment of flight risk, and said he remained concerned Omole could flee. Omole is scheduled to return to court next month.