Australian Football Association of North America

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Former Geelong player Damian Bourke is under investigation for fraud in a property scandal which netted him several million dollars. Elders of a Maori tribe have accused Bourke bilking them out of $6 million and the wife of a Brisbane psychiatrist claims they were conned out of about $1.4 million.

Supreme Court affidavits describe Bourke as an opportunistic, evasive con man who hired a convicted fraud to help him obtain large amounts of cash from unsuspecting victims. The tribe's claims center on money they lent companies headed by Bourke to buy land at Geelong's Harding Park to develop apartments, and a site in Queensland for a medial center. Annie Fredericks, the wife of the psychiatrist, was also involved in the Queensland deal.

In documents lodged with the Australian Investment and Securities Commission and Supreme Court, Waikato Tainui tribe elder Tumahana Tauranga accuses Bourke of stealing the money through a range of unauthorized transactions between Bourke's various companies and business associates. According to documents, the New Zealand tribe had just been awarded $170 million in a land settlement by the NZ government when Bourke approached them. IN 1999, the tribe advanced a total $11 million dollars to three of Bourke's companies for three different projects: an apartment complex in Queensland, a medical center in Queensland, and a building project in Geelong.

According to Tauranga, relations between his people and Bourke deteriorated after the third loan. He later learned that all three projects were in turmoil. The tribe did recover $5 million, but is still keen on recovering the rest. However, documents detailing the agreements between Bourke and the tribe have disappeared with neither side able to find copies.

It has since been alleged in court that Bourke:

paid $1 million of the tribe's money to a friend for "introduction" fees

Paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in "success fees" to a man convicted of fraud while treasurer to the NZ Defence Forces

Paid almost $100,000 for "consulting services" to the tribe's own banker, who later committed suicide.

According to Tauranga, no attempt was made to build one of the apartment complexes and the money disappeared within three months. Queensland Land Registry documents indicate $2.4 million was misappropriated to another of Bourke's companies, Kenham Investments, which was later shelved and deregistered. By the time the company went into receivership, Bourke had changed its name and left the tribe with a worthless company and a second property mortgage.

It has also been alleged that Bourke dealt with the tribe's money in a similar way with the Geelong project, paying just over $1.4 million for the land before leaving the tribe with security over a $40 company. That deal is subject to another Supreme Court proceeding.

Bourke's lawyers have lodged various documents in his defense and the court is yet to rule in the case.

Bourke played for Geelong 1983-92, then spent three years playing for Brisbane.

Source: Herald Sun