National Gallery of Victoria employee allegedly stole $8m to buy phones he later sold

A former senior National Gallery of Victoria employee is alleged to have funnelled $8m from the gallery over six years.

He allegedly bought $8m worth of mobile phones using an NGV account, which he then sold for personal gain.

The state’s corruption watchdog has charged the former employee with seven counts of theft and one count of misconduct in public office alleged to have taken place between September 2019 and September 2025.

“IBAC will allege that mobile phones were purchased under an NGV account to the value of approximately $8m and then sold for personal financial benefit,” the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission said in a statement on Thursday.

The watchdog said it began investigating allegations of corrupt conduct in relation to theft and misuse of his position by the former senior employee in September last year.

He is expected to appear before Melbourne magistrates court on 20 October.

An NGV spokesperson confirmed the gallery had been the subject of a financial fraud involving an individual employee.

“The matter was reported to Victoria police and Ibac in September 2025 and the individual’s employment was terminated,” the spokesperson told AAP.

Since September 2025, the gallery said it had implemented a series of new measures and controls to strengthen its systems and processes.