Updated: 05:26, Sunday December 11, 2011
Police in Queensland believe a public servant wanted over the alleged embezzlement of millions of taxpayer dollars is still likely to be in Australia and being sheltered by friends.
Hohepa Morehu-Barlow, also known as Joel Barlow, is alleged to have siphoned 16 million dollars into private accounts over the past three years, including one payment of 11 million dollars made in the past fortnight.
Authorities have the passport of the New Zealand-born 36-year-old, who was the manager of the finance division at Queensland Health’s Community Services Branch.
But the state opposition says a recent auditor-general’s report had pointed out the government was vulnerable to embezzlement because of poor financial management controls.
Premier Anna Bligh says independent, external forensic auditors have been brought in to identify the failure of the systems’ checks and balances.
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