The former chairman of the Framlingham Aboriginal Trust claims to have no knowledge of discussions about the transfer of $400,000 relating to wind farm money.
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Respected elder Lionel Harradine also said he did not recall any discussions at committee meetings about paying former trust chief executive officer Geoff Clark's legal fees.
Those fees are alleged to have amounted to $550,000 which police claim Mr Clark paid using community money.
"I said I don't know anything about it," Mr Harradine said.
Under further cross-examination by barrister Tim Smurthwaite, acting for Geoff Clark, Mr Harradine agreed he may have forgotten discussions at committee meetings.
"It's possible I may have forgotten, but I doubt it," he said, although he agreed his memory was now "not very good at all".
The prosecution alleges that Mr Clark, the former head of the disbanded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, accumulated legal bills of $900,000 in a series of legal actions and it's claimed $549,744 was paid to lawyers by the trust and associated entities.
A special sitting has been organised in the Warrnambool court for a $2.48 million fraud case committal hearing as Mr Harradine is suffering failing health.
Mr Harradine was cross-examined by Mr Smurthwaite throughout Tuesday.
Mr Clark, his wife Trudi and two of their sons, Jeremy and Aaron, have been charged by police with a total of 1171 alleged offences after a seven-year police investigation code named Operation Omega.
Mr Clark and his family members have always maintained their innocence.
Mr Harradine is on Wednesday continuing to give evidence in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court via video link with the Melbourne Magistrates Court.
On Tuesday Mr Harradine said approval of payments over $20,000 had to go before committee meetings to be discussed and agreed on.
The respected elder made a seven-page statement to police on November 6 last year.
A committal hearing was started in February but has been adjourned and hearings rescheduled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
There are 11 witness still to give evidence in the committal, while 10 have so far given evidence.
In a summary of the case at the start of the committal proceeding, crown prosecutor Justin Lewis said the charges related to 16 alleged events and schemes which were conducted by members of the Clark family between 1998 and 2016 involving $2.48 million.
Read more:
- Aboriginal elder says she would not have agreed to Geoff Clark's legal fees being paid for in a rape case committal hearing
- Framlingham Aboriginal elder Aunty Violet Clark says she thought former trust administrator Geoff Clark was paying his own legal fees
- Geoff Clark's former right-hand man Mick Fitzgerald made seven statements to police
- Former boss says Aboriginal Affairs Victoria failed to monitor Framlingham Aboriginal Trust
- Police claim 16 events and schemes led to 1171 fraud-related charges against Geoff Clark and three family members
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