Between May and December 2025, it will be alleged the man engaged in acts of criminality - namely attempted gains benefit by fraud, corruption and stealing - while employed in a senior public office role within the Shire of Coorow in the Mid West region.
It will be alleged the man used expense accounts to obtain items for his own personal benefit, and on a separate occasion sold some of the ordered products for his own financial gain. It will also be alleged the man committed an act of attempting to gain benefit by fraud by purporting to be an employee to obtain funds into his bank account.
It will be further alleged the day after his employment was terminated, the man attended the premises and stole products belonging to the former employer, valued at approximately $3,000.
Police will allege upon termination, the man committed an act of perjury by unlawfully accessing social media and email accounts to send himself false messages, which were utilised to obtain a court order.
On Wednesday, 11 March 2026, police located and arrested the man inside a parked vehicle on Port Beach Road in North Fremantle. A search warrant was subsequently executed at a residence on Doepel Street in North Fremantle, and it will be alleged a quantity of MDMA and stolen property were located inside the premises. The items were seized by police.
A 27-year-old man from North Fremantle has been charged with:
• 2 x Public Officer Acts Corruptly in Performance/Discharge of Functions
• 2 x Stealing
• 1 x Attempted Gains Benefit by Fraud
• 1 x Perjury in Civil Proceedings.
• 1 x Possess a Prohibited Drug (MDMA)
He is due to appear before the Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.
