Fraud investigation
12 April 2016
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The headquarters of major vocational education outfit Australian Careers Network have been raided by the Australian Federal Police as part of a fraud investigation.
………………………………………………………………………………………….……
AFP spokesman confirmed police raided the company’s offices in Spotswood “for a Department of Education and Training led investigation”.
ACN founder Ivan Brown, a former Victorian Police Officer turned vocational education bigwig running a company worth about $180 million, declined to comment when reached by Fairfax Media on Tuesday morning.
Only a few days ago, Mr Brown told ABC radio he was “not a cowboy” and said he had not done anything wrong in managing ACN.
Vocational Education and Skills Minister Scott Ryan confirmed the raids in a statement:
Following an investigation by the Department of Education and Training into allegations of fraud surrounding VET FEE-HELP funding to a provider, today, officers of the Department of Education and Training assisted the Australian Federal Police in the execution of two search warrants in the Melbourne suburbs of Spotswood and Williamstown North.
The investigations are continuing following these search warrants, no further details or comment can be provided in respect to this specific investigation.
This should serve as a warning to all VET FEE-HELP providers that the Commonwealth will investigate allegations of fraudulent conduct against not only the VET FEE-HELP program, but all funding programs.
The Australian Securities Exchange-listed Australian Careers Network collapsed in March appointing administrators from Ferrier Hodgson.
2603