Northern Territory Police have confirmed that 10 travel agencies have been referred to the department over suspicions that they may have rorted a government travel concession scheme.
The 10 retail stores are in addition to five other agencies across the state also under investigation for similar activity.
Attorney-General John Elferink said the stores were referred to the police by the Health Department over concerns that they may have been taking advantage of a government-subsidised pensioner and carer travel concession scheme, The Australian reported.
He said the 10 agencies were linked to Flight Centre and he expects the travel group will cooperate with police investigation.
“We do expect Flight Centre as an organisation to co-operate with the police investigation and assist police with providing any information that may or may not pertain to a criminal matter,” Attorney-General John Elferink said.
He continued, saying that the group had already repaid the Government around $2.3 million in relation to the Pensioner and Carer Concession scheme, however, he stressed that a “settlement of civil debt” was not an admission of guilt.
“You cannot automatically assume that’s evidence of anything that may or may not be in the criminal domain.”
Attorney-General John Elferink
KarryOn has contacted Flight Centre for comment.
