AI-generated summary
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) launched Operation Sonder last year to investigate allegations of corrupt conduct related to theft and misuse of position by a former senior employee of the National Gallery of Victoria over a six-year period ending in September 2025.
Victoria's corruption watchdog has charged a former National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) employee who allegedly used a work account to purchase millions of dollars worth of mobile phones then sold them for personal gain.
The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) alleges the scheme took place over several years, amassing about $8 million worth of devices.
IBAC today revealed it had charged the former senior employee with eight offences, including seven counts of theft and one count of misconduct in public office.
The charges were laid as part of Operation Sonder, which was established last year to investigate allegations of corrupt conduct in relation to theft and misuse of the former employee's position in the six years to September 2025.
In a statement today, IBAC said it would be alleged that the employee misused his position to conceal the alleged conduct.
He has been scheduled to appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on October 20.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The former employee will stand trial at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on October 20.
Very likely · Within days
IBAC may seek restitution or asset recovery related to the alleged $8 million in mobile phones.
Possible · Within weeks
A court in Newcastle heard that dozens of guns seized from Andrew David Rankmore's Williamtown home in 2024 may be classified as antique firearms under the Firearms Act, with the prosecution conceding some weapons meet the antique definition and were held under a valid Category G licence, though storage concerns remain; judgement on classification deferred to October 1.
David Allan, Alan Jones's former butler, testified in the NSW Local Court that the radio host greeted high-profile complainant Complainant M with a hug and a 'slap on the bottom' during visits to Jones's luxury Circular Quay apartment, The Toaster. Allan stated Jones hosted numerous young male athletes, including Complainant M, and described his duties managing the household. Jones has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching.

Prosecutors in a Sydney court played CCTV footage showing accused murderer Beau Lamarre-Condon inspecting a surfboard bag days before allegedly killing Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.
Victoria's crime rate dropped 3.8% in the year to June, with youth offending down 8.1%. Serious and violent crimes fell 4%, home invasions dropped 27%, and carjackings decreased 25%. Despite improvements, police say crime remains unacceptably high. Retail theft rose nearly 3%, while drug trafficking spiked 18.5%. Victoria Police faces a retention crisis with 1,340 unfilled roles, and a $40 million youth crime initiative failed to reduce offending, with over two-thirds of participants re-offending within six months.
At Port Lincoln Prison in South Australia, inmates participate in a horticulture program managing 180 hectares of farmland and gardens, gaining literacy, numeracy, and Certificate IV qualifications to support post-release employment and reduce recidivism, with prison-grown produce supplied to local restaurants and retailers.
On the eve of the first anniversary of four-year-old Gus Lamont's disappearance from his outback home near Yunta, South Australian police announced a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to a conviction or the location of his remains, while also revealing anomalies in aerial search imagery that could prompt further investigation.