Australia: Victorian Liberals furious at stolen money!

THE party believes former state director Damien Mantach embezzled somewhere between $1 million and $2 million from its election war chest over two years.

“The party is furious, we want our money back, we want this matter sent to the police and we will be doing everything we can to ensure that justice is done,” state Liberal leader Matthew Guy told reporters on Thursday.

“I saw someone making a comment that were white hot with anger – that’s just the start of it.” An audit of the party’s accounts after the 2014 election revealed irregularities, Mr Guy said.

Money was missing from both state and federal election war chests. “I’m told that it’s, to be frank, a pretty basic effort at embezzlement,” Mr Guy said. “You’re talking a very significant portion of the money raised by the party in fundraising means appears to have been embezzled.

“People did a lot of work to get that. “We all feel completely gutted and furious.” Mr Guy said only one person was being investigated and this was Mr Mantach. Liberal MPs met on Thursday morning, while the state administrative committee is also meeting to prepare a brief of evidence for Victoria Police.

Former premier Denis Napthine, who led the Liberal Party to defeat at the 2014 election, said the police needed to be involved. “I’m surprised, I’m shocked, I’m bitterly disappointed,” Dr Napthine said. He said it was a devastating blow to all Liberals.