Soldiers of fortune getting away with swindling, fraud

DEFENCE investigators have managed to reclaim less than one-third of losses swindled from our armed forces by their own personnel.

Just $1.1 million of $3.9 million stolen from the ADF in the past five years – through credit card fraud, entitlement abuse, corruption and dishonesty – has been recovered.

The new details come after reports last week that at least $609,000 was lost in the past year, of which just $225,900 has been returned. Defence refuses to say how many more investigations are ongoing.

There have been more than 1380 fraud investigations in the past five years, with about a quarter of those completed resulting in criminal or disciplinary action.

A spokeswoman said the ADF had “a zero tolerance approach to fraud”.

“Individuals found to have caused a loss to Defence through fraud face a range of consequences, including termination of employment or reduction in rank, disciplinary action, criminal prosecution and debt recovery,” she said.