Fraud charges levelled against Victorian Nationals MP Tim McCurdy will go to trial in Melbourne and nowhere near his once-safe regional electorate.
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McCurdy maintains his innocence and will fight allegations he wrongly collected $269,000 in real estate commissions almost a decade ago.
The trial was going to be held at Shepparton, next to his Ovens Valley seat, but on Wednesday the County Court approved the move to Melbourne on a date yet to be fixed.
The matter will return to court on April 3 for a directions hearing.
It's alleged McCurdy sold two dairy farms in 2009, wrongly using former colleague Andrew Gilmour's real estate agency's name, collecting $269,000 in commissions.
McCurdy used to hold Ovens Valley by more than 16 per cent, but was committed to stand trial weeks before the November state election and won back his seat with 51.92 per cent of the vote after preferences.
Australian Associated Press
