The sacked chief executive of a West Australian regional council is facing a possible jail term after admitting he used ratepayers' money to pay for sex.
Gavin Pollock, the former chief executive of the Ravensthorpe Shire in WA's Great Southern region, appeared briefly in the Perth Magistrates Court this morning and pleaded guilty to seven corruption charges.
They were laid against him after a Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) investigation revealed he had created fake invoices to cover up the payment of about $55,000 of council money to a sex worker referred to as "Ms E".
The CCC investigation, which was code named "Operation Brass", included the examination of electronic devices used by Pollock that were seized during a raid of the shire's offices in August last year.
The CCC's report said Pollock had been a client of "Ms E for a number of years before he started his corrupt scheme in March 2020 to pay her using council funds".
The CCC found Pollock created the fake invoices on his office computer, printed them off, had purchase orders prepared and then authorised a total of seven payments over 12 months.
Extra payments blocked
The investigation found two further invoices totalling $13,530 had been prepared, but the CCC stopped them from being paid.
"The primary motive was to allow Mr Pollock to experience a range of paid sexual experiences with Ms E and others," the CCC report said.
Pollock, who was appointed chief executive in February 2019, was sacked by the shire after the CCC's report was tabled in state parliament in September last year.
Pollock was again released on bail today.
He is set to appear in the District Court in April, when a date may be set for his sentencing.
He faces possible imprisonment, with the offence of corruption carrying a maximum jail term of seven years.
Pollock made no comment as he left the court.
