Ms Veronica Cubillo, the former CEO of the North Australian Aboriginal Family Violence Legal Service Aboriginal Corporation (NAAFVLS), has today been sentenced in the Northern Territory Supreme Court in Darwin.
Ms Cubillo was sentenced to three months imprisonment, backdated to 30 April 2015 when Ms Cubillo was first remanded in custody. After she is released Ms Cubillo will be required to serve five months in home detention.
Ms Cubillo was also ordered to repay $7,624.50 to NAAFVLS via the Registrar.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Blokland said that Ms Cubillo had breached her position of trust as the CEO of an Aboriginal corporation and had not accepted responsibility for her actions.
Ms Cubillo was found guilty by a jury on 23 April 2015 of 11 charges brought by the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Anthony Beven.
Ten of the charges brought against Ms Cubillo related to her misusing her position and forging documents to obtain a personal financial benefit totalling $9,574.50.
The eleventh charge related to Ms Cubillo intentionally and dishonestly failing to properly exercise her duties as the CEO. Ms Cubillo had directed that part of a $10,000 grant be used to fund an overseas trip to the Philippines. The funding had been provided to NAAFVLS by Imparja Television to run substance abuse workshops on Groote Eylandt.
Anthony Beven said, ‘Ms Cubillo was the CEO of a not-for-profit corporation funded by government to assist the victims of domestic violence living in disadvantaged communities. While the amount of money involved was small, the breach of trust was significant.
‘The sentence sends a strong message that it is unacceptable for the CEO of an Aboriginal corporation to use public funding meant for the most vulnerable in our community for their own personal benefit.’
The matter was prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
Background
For further information about this case please see the Registrar’s media releases of
24 October 2013 (ORIC MR1314-11); 17 September 2014 (ORIC MR1415-08), 23 April 2015 (ORIC MR1415-32) and 30 April 2015 (ORIC MR1415-33) at www.oric.gov.au.
Media contact
Christa de Jager
02 6146 4737
ORIC MR1415-35
12 May 2015