National Gallery of Victoria employee allegedly stole $8m to buy phones he later sold
A former senior employee of the National Gallery of Victoria has been charged with stealing approximately $8 million over a six-year period. The individual allegedly used gallery funds to purchase mobile phones, which were subsequently sold for personal financial gain. The former staffer is expected to appear in Melbourne magistrates court in October to face seven counts of theft and one count of misconduct in public office.
- ▪The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission charged the former employee with seven counts of theft and one count of misconduct in public office.
- ▪The alleged fraud involved purchasing $8 million worth of mobile phones using an NGV account between September 2019 and September 2025.
- ▪The National Gallery of Victoria confirmed the employee's termination and stated that new financial controls have been implemented since the incident was reported.
- ▪The former employee is scheduled to appear before Melbourne magistrates court on 20 October.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/sep/24/national-gallery-of-victoria-employee-allegedly-stole-8m-phone-scam-ntwnfb |
| Publication time | Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:38:04 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-24T08:45:14.655Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-24T08:45:14.655Z |
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The National Gallery of Victoria on St Kilda Road in Southbank. A former employee is alleged to have redirected $8m to fund mobile phone purchases that he later sold for his own benefit. Photograph: Greg Balfour Evans/AlamyView image in fullscreenThe National Gallery of Victoria on St Kilda Road in Southbank. A former employee is alleged to have redirected $8m to fund mobile phone purchases that he later sold for his own benefit. Photograph: Greg Balfour Evans/AlamyNational Gallery of Victoria (NGV)National Gallery of Victoria employee allegedly stole $8m to buy phones he later sold Victoria’s anti-corruption body charges the ex-staffer with seven counts of theft and one count of misconduct in public office Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news…
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