The Victoria Police fraud and extortion squad is in the process of dropping about a dozen conspiracy charges against members of Framlingham's Clark family.
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Former Framlingham Aboriginal Trust administrator Geoff Clark, his wife Trudi and two of their sons, Jeremy and Aaron, were charged by police with a total of 1171 offences in a $2.48 million fraud case after a seven-year investigation code named Operation Omega.
Geoff Clark, and his family members, have vehemently denied any wrongdoing, labeling the case a "witch hunt" for political purposes.
It's understood Geoff and Jeremy were both charged with four conspiracy charges, Trudi three and Aaron two.
Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg previously raised questions about the conspiracy charges.
Mr Clark on Friday welcomed news that the charges would be dropped.
"This case is like an egg, once it cracks it becomes fragile," he said.
"We haven't got the transcripts yet. There's been no submissions. That's a big move dropping the conspiracy charges," he said.
Police will persist with alleging the Clarks were involved in a joint criminal enterprise.
Conspiracy charges are often laid because action is taken by authorities before there is the opportunity for other actual crimes to be committed.
In the Clark case police allege other offences were committed, so the charges could be seen as duplicitous, and if dropped at a later stage costs may have been award to barristers for the Clarks.
The committal hearing is scheduled to continue in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on May 10.
In a summary of the case at the start of the committal in February last year, 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 with the case involving $2.48 million.
The case was delayed earlier last year after Melbourne barrister James Westmore suffered extensive injuries in a cycling accident at Dennington on Saturday, February 8.
He passed away in late February.
Elder Aunty Violet Clark also previously gave evidence in the committal hearing over three days and passed away on April 15.
Other delays were caused by restrictions in court sittings caused by the COVID pandemic.
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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