FORMER Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative chief executive Phil Egan has been charged with 73 offences by financial crime squad detectives as part of an investigation into allegations of fraud relating to the management of the Robinvale-based organisation.
Victoria Police arrested the former Richmond forward in February, when Mr Egan told The Guardian he had “even more confidence” of defending allegations put to him.
Yesterday he was charged on summons with offences including obtaining financial advantage by deception, using a false document and secret commission.
The charges relate to alleged fraud matters between 2010 and 2015.
A statement from Victoria Police said a 60-year-old Aberfeldie man would appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on August 11.
MVAC is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to improve the health and welfare of Aboriginal people in Robinvale and Murray Valley districts.
When contacted on Thursday, Mr Egan said he had not sighted the Victoria Police statement and therefore was unable to comment. He was expected to meet his lawyer later in the day.
It was reported in February that Mr Egan had been arrested and interviewed by investigators and was expected to be charged on summons with fraud-related offences.
He denied “any wrongdoing or any activities which has been reported in the media”.
Mr Egan said at the time the interview process allowed him to discover what the probe was about and he had received “all the information regarding their issues”.
“They explained very firmly and on record that there are no charges and no charges imminent,” he said at the time.
Mr Egan said the meeting would allow him to formally respond to the allegations.
“I walked away from my interview with even more confidence that my documents will tell the tale,” he said at the time.
Mr Egan was recruited to Richmond from Robinvale and made his senior debut in the opening match of the 1982 season aged 19.
He played 125 games and kicked 117 goals for the Tigers in a nine-season career from 1982 to 1990 before he crossed to Melbourne in 1991, playing a single senior game.
After his VFL career, Mr Egan spent four seasons at Red Cliffs from 1991 to 1994 and was captain-coach in 1993 and 1994.
More recently, he was the author of an explosive Hawthorn Football Club racism report.
