Man accused of defrauding Indigenous community not of 'dishonest mind'

According to prosecutors, Larry Joe Woosup has been charged with two counts of fraud exceeding $30,000 each for allegedly misusing funds meant for an Indigenous community. Woosup is accused of setting up trust accounts for the Ankumuthi community, where he was the sole trustee, and using overdraft capacity to transfer and withdraw $110,000 from one account and deposit a cheque for $95,000 from a mining company into another account.

The judge is expected to conclude his summation to the jury on Monday, concluding the trial after both sides have made their closing arguments. Woosup's defense argues that his actions were the result of best efforts to account for the money's whereabouts rather than stemming from a dishonest mind. They highlight that Woosup engaged an accountant, provided bank statements and receipts when questioned, and that the many errors in his documentation were due to the passage of time rather than intentional deceit.

The defense also points out that some community members only became recognized as Native Title holders years after the events, casting doubt on claims that the money was not returned to the community.