The Australian Government will continue to catch and prosecute people who defraud the family day care system.
Rosa Riak and Kuol Deng were sentenced in the Country Court in Melbourne today to a maximum of four years imprisonment for conspiring to defraud the Commonwealth of almost $1 million, while Achai Deng received an 18 month suspended sentence.
The trio of offenders were among 13 people charged by the Australian Federal Police as a result of Operation Caulis, which was carried out with the assistance of the Department of Education and Training.
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said dodgy providers were on notice.
"Rorters are stealing from the tax-payer and depriving parents with genuine day care needs of the opportunity to receive support," Mr Tehan said.
"It you are rorting the family day care system you will be caught and we will take strong action.
"The Coalition Government has stopped about $2.8 billion of tax-payers’ money from being ripped off by non-compliant and fraudulent child care services since 2014.
"We will do all we can to defend the integrity of the child care system which is meant for those families who need it most."
