Former ATO assistant commissioner appears in court

Absent in the courtroom was the third co-accused, former deputy chairperson of the Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council (ALALC) board, Robert Green. 

This adjournment follows Petroulias being charged with seven counts of dishonesty obtaining financial advantage by deception, and two counts of making false documentation to obtain financial advantage.

On Thursday, sister brand Lawyers Weekly reported on the suspension of Bakis’ practising certificate by the Council of the Law Society of NSW following her being “charged with a number of serious offences”, according to the Office of the NSW Legal Services Commissioner’s (OLSC) Register of Disciplinary Action.

In between 2014 and 2016, Petroulias was involved in alleged criminal offences with the three co-accused, Bakis, Green, and former Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council (ALALC) chairperson Debbie Date, in the sale and development of properties owned by the ALALC, found in a report by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in October 2022.

In the ICAC report, Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council - allegations concerning directors of the Board and others (Operation Skyline), it was revealed that Bakis represented both Petroulias’ company Gows Heat Pty Ltd and the ALALC under Knightsbridge North Lawyers, which allowed Petroulias the option to purchase five NSW properties owned by ALALC that it sold on to Sunshine Property Investment Group Pty Ltd for more than $1 million.

"To provide credibility for this representation, Bakis prepared false contractual documents between Gows and the ALALC; she also had an undeclared conflict of interest in that she was engaged as the solicitor for the ALALC, through her legal business, Knightsbridge North Lawyers, while also representing Gows," ICAC said in a public statement.

“While Sunshine had been informed that the bulk of the money would go to the ALALC, all of the funds went to Mr Petroulias, Mr Green, and Ms Bakis. Mr Petroulias ultimately received over $600,000, and Mr Green and Ms Bakis received financial benefits totalling $244,000 and $179,000 respectively,” the commission said in a 2022 statement.