A commercial fisherman from Bunbury has been fined $25,000 for two fraud offences, uncovered through joint investigations by WA Police and the Department of Fisheries.
The sentence was issued in the Bunbury District Court today, after 53-year-old Nicholas Emanuel Soulos had pleaded guilty to the two criminal matters in July this year. The offences were related to gaining a benefit by fraud, after he applied for act of grace payments. A total of $34,889 was paid in May 2006, following the closure of the Geographe Bay Crab Fishery in early 2005. Soulos has since repaid those funds.
Justice Andrew Stavrianou said it was serious offending and a sophisticated fraud, involving the preparation and submission of documents to achieve a gain that Soulos was not entitled to.
Also today, Soulos was fined a further $4,000 in the Bunbury Magistrates Court, for attempted fraud, related to a 2007 application to enter the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery.
In June Soulos was also convicted on Fisheries offences and was ordered to pay more than $40,000 for submitting false catch returns and also selling specimen shells illegally. The fines were related to 26 breaches of Fish Resources Management Act (FRMA) that were committed between 2003 and 2007.
Central Support Services Manager, Ian Jones said both the criminal and fisheries offences were serious and today’s outcome was an appropriate warning that the Department of Fisheries would vigorously pursue any fraudulent applications.
“The false applications that lead to payment of compensation that wasn’t warranted is unacceptable, the consequences are severe and should serve as a warning to anyone who has or might consider making false applications,” Mr Jones said.
“In addition, the actions to create a multiple number of false entries in required catch and effort returns that were submitted to the Department of Fisheries for vessels operated by the Soulos family business affected the collection of accurate data for research – which is vital in assessing the sustainability of WA fisheries.
“We must maintain effective management plans and a strict enforcement regime and those that flout the law should take note.”
Mr Jones said the Department’s Serious Offences Unit and regional Fisheries and Marine Officers had again shown their skill and dedication in investigating complex cases and gathering the necessary supporting evidence for successful prosecutions.
