Credit card abuse claim

Probe into Norlane Catholic school account

AN investigation has been launched at a Catholic primary school in Norlane following accusations a staff member misused a school credit card.

St Thomas Aquinas School, which has a low socio-economic status score of 73, is being audited by Catholic Education Melbourne following the claims from a whistleblower.

The school is one of the lowest SES Catholic schools in Victoria, receiving the highest amount of funding from the Government and Catholic church.

The whistleblower has provided CEM with documents showing payments made on the school credit card, which she alleged was for private and personal use by the male staff member.

A review of the credit card for the period January to December 2018 showed owed a significant annual expense on gifts and entertainment.

Purchases were made at Opsy’s fish and chip restaurant in Leopold, I Love Dumplings, Tipper and Co, Son of a Pizzaiolo Italian restaurant in Thornbury, Strandbag, and Swarovski.

The woman has also attached copies of personal messages sent to her by the staff member in relation to accommodation booked and paid for by St Thomas Aquinas while she was in a relationship with him, which has ended.

“I’ve highlighted some of the charges that were made in my presence while we’d spent time together having dinners, drinks, and fish and chips,” the woman claimed.

“There are many miscellaneous charges that have been written off as gifts and entertainment that are now in question.”

Jim Miles, acting executive director, Catholic Education Melbourne, said it maintained a rigorous financial audit program, auditing its 332 schools on an annual basis.

Mr Miles said advice from members of the community often helped CEM further interrogate the financial activities of a school.

“It is not correct to automatically assume wrongdoing by any individual in a school when we undertake one of these investigations,” he said.

“They are undertaken to establish facts and make recommendations to school proprietors should anything be found.

“The current audit and investigation program is ongoing.

“CEM will work with schools and their school governors to implement findings.”