November 29th 2024.
An Indigenous leader, Geoff Clark, has been sentenced to over six years in prison for stealing close to $1 million from Aboriginal organizations. This comes after three different juries found him guilty of 25 charges including theft, deception, perjury, and dealing with the proceeds of crime. Clark, who was the former chairman of the now-defunct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, was found to have stolen $922,214 from four Indigenous organizations between 2001 and 2015.
One of the main reasons for Clark's theft was to pay for his legal expenses as he faced criminal and civil proceedings in the early 2000s. These proceedings were related to historical cases of gang rape and assault. In addition to using the stolen money for legal fees, Clark also used a portion of it for housing expenses, including rates, electricity, and water bills.
During the sentencing, County Court Judge Michael O'Connell described Clark's actions as "carefully calculated" and sentenced him to six years and two months in prison. Clark will be eligible for parole after serving three years and nine months. The judge also expressed his disappointment in Clark, stating that he "contrived to conflate [his] own personal interests with the interests of the community" and ultimately "betrayed its trust."
Clark's son, Jeremy, was also sentenced for his involvement in the theft. He was found guilty of stealing $231,969 from the Aboriginal organizations to help fund his father's legal fees. He also admitted to obtaining $10,780 as a grant from the federal government. However, his sentence of two years and two months in prison was wholly suspended, and he was given a recognisance release order, which requires him to be of good behavior for two years.
During the hearing, Clark watched via video link from prison and kept his head down as the sentence was delivered. This sentencing comes as a blow to the Indigenous community, who trusted Clark to lead and serve their best interests. For those in need of crisis support, there is a 24/7 service run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that can be contacted at 13YARN.
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