Latest news with #ICSA
7NEWS
6 days ago
- 7NEWS
Update as disgraced former AFL umpire Troy Pannell fronts court
Former AFL umpire Troy Pannell has fronted court for the first time since trying to flee Victoria and crashing into a tree. The 48-year-old has been accused of defrauding his former employer, SeaRoad Shipping, of close to $9 million. Pannell has been in custody at Fulham Prison in Sale and can no longer afford a lawyer, admitting he doesn't have $8.7 million in assets. He now faces contempt of court charges too, accused of selling a racehorse after his assets were frozen. Pannell was ushered by several guards as he entered the Supreme Court's courtroom on Friday. On separate charges, Pannell was also due to plead guilty to theft of a $45,000 Hyundai Tucson, theft of a $2000 mobile phone and other driving offences at the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on Wednesday, but the hearing was adjourned until next week to give legal aid lawyers more time to familiarise themselves with his case. Just eight days ago, Pannell's previous lawyer declared that he was no longer representing his client, so Magistrate Timothy Hoare had to urgently call on a Victoria Legal Aid lawyer to help the former umpire. Pannell appeared in court via video link from Fulham Prison in Sale. He had a beard and was wearing a green prison uniform. He has gone from hospital — after life-saving surgery — to prison. At the start of June he was airlifted to hospital after crashing is car into a tree on a country road in Victoria. That accident happened when he was fleeing police. One of the driving offences Pannell will plead guilty to is failing to stop on police direction. Police were chasing him after he failed to appear in Victoria's Supreme Court at the start of June, missing a second scheduled court appearance. Pannell was asked a series of questions about his mental health and the prison conditions on Wednesday. 'I'm just in a cell in here,' Pannell said. 'Not a psych facility. I've seen a nurse every couple of days.' The magistrate also asked Pannell if he was at risk of self-harm. 'No sir,' was Pannell's response. During proceedings Pannell said: 'I just want the plea done.' The Pannell saga started when SeaRoad Shipping alleged that he had generated invoices to pay a company named Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors (ICSA) to repair damaged shipping containers, with each 'repair' costing SeaRoad $800 to $900. It is also alleged that Pannell had authority to approve purchase orders up to the value of $5000, and it was only when a finance manager noticed ICSA was not registered for GST that suspicions were raised. SeaRoad alleges ICSA did no work to repair any containers and never checked the work had been done as it trusted Pannell to follow the proper processes of the company. Pannell officiated 291 AFL games from 2005 to 2018 — including a controversial 2016 match where he awarded 17 free kicks to the eventual flag-winning Bulldogs and only one to Adelaide.
7NEWS
16-07-2025
- 7NEWS
Former AFL umpire Troy Pannell to plead guilty to theft and other driving offences
Former AFL umpire Troy Pannell is set to be released from prison after coming to a resolution with police. Pannell was due to plead guilty to theft of a $45,000 Hyundai Tucson, theft of a $2000 mobile phone and other driving offences at the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on Wednesday, but the hearing was adjourned until next week to give legal aid lawyers more time to familiarise themselves with his case. Just six days ago, Pannell's previous lawyer declared that he was no longer representing his client, so Magistrate Timothy Hoare had to urgently call on a Victoria Legal Aid lawyer to help Pannell. Pannell appeared in court via video link from Fulham Prison in Sale. He had a beard and was wearing a green prison uniform. He has gone from hospital — after life-saving surgery — to prison. At the start of June he was airlifted to hospital after crashing is car into a tree on a country road in Victoria. That accident happened when he was fleeing police. One of the driving offences Pannell will plead guilty to is failing to stop on police direction. Pannell is also being pursued by his former employer, SeaRoad Shipping, who allege he defrauded them over $8.7 million. Police were chasing the former umpire after he failed to appear in Victoria's Supreme Court at the start of June, missing a second scheduled court appearance. Pannell was asked a series of questions about his mental health and the prison conditions on Wednesday. 'I'm just in a cell in here,' Pannell said. 'Not a psych facility. I've seen a nurse every couple of days.' The magistrate also asked Pannell if he was at risk of self-harm. 'No sir,' was Pannell's response. During proceedings Pannell said: 'I just want the plea done.' The Pannell saga started when SeaRoad Shipping alleged that he had generated invoices to pay a company named Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors (ICSA) to repair damaged shipping containers, with each 'repair' costing SeaRoad $800 to $900. It is also alleged that Pannell had authority to approve purchase orders up to the value of $5000, and it was only when a finance manager noticed ICSA was not registered for GST that suspicions were raised. SeaRoad alleges ICSA did no work to repair any containers and never checked the work had been done as it trusted Pannell to follow the proper processes of the company. Pannell officiated 291 AFL games from 2005 to 2018 — including a controversial 2016 match where he awarded 17 free kicks to the eventual flag-winning Bulldogs and only one to Adelaide during a regular season game.
Borneo Post
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Speak up! Speak up!
The ability of speaking more than one language is a valuable personal asset. — Photo from I HAVE great admiration for anyone who speaks another language besides his own mother tongue. A friend of mine, an Iban, who sadly had joined his Maker, spoke fluent Mandarin and several other Chinese dialects and also the Sarawak Malay. He also spoke Melanau (the Bintulu variety). There was never a dull moment to be in his company. During a happy occasion such as a wedding reception, someone who proposes a toast laced with good humour in two or more languages can turn a solemn situation into one full of laughter. Even during semi-formal discussions like seminars and workshops, it is always interesting to listen to speakers switching from one language to another at will, and yet, can still be fully understood by everybody else in the room. It's a very effective way of disseminating information, especially where the audience consists of people from various educational backgrounds. A language is only useful when, through it, the message is crystal clear – no ambiguity. If two or three languages could convey the same message, so much the better. An audience consisting of various ethnic groups of individuals with varying standards of literacy would greatly benefit from this sort of situation. Malaysians must appreciate the fact that they are allowed to be multilingual. At one stage in the history of Malaysia, there was an attempt to discourage the publication of literature written in Iban, or any other indigenous Borneo languages. The federal government policy then was that every Malaysian must speak Bahasa Malaysia and write in Bahasa Malaysia only. Over time, it was realised that this strict application of the language policy could not work in a multiracial society like Malaysia. I could have told them that! The unity of a nation does not depend solely on one national language. Switzerland has four national languages: French, German, Italian and Romansch. Politically, it is one of the most stable countries in the world and certainly, one of the richest in Europe. Please note carefully that I am not proposing for Malaysia to have four national languages. Not at all. Let the Malay Language remain our 'Bahasa Kebangsaan' (national language) and every Malaysian must continue learning, speaking and writing in it. And let the other languages of the various ethnic groups making up the population of Malaysia be used on a daily basis without hindrance, as is the position now. For the past 30 years, the structure of that language policy has been somewhat relaxed. It is what public policy should be if a multiracial society like ours is to sustain itself. It is hoped that this attitude will be maintained by the government of the day for as long as possible. Whichever political party in power in the country, let the language policy continue to be liberal. Yesterday, someone drew my attention to a report in The Borneo Post of June 22, 2025. It was about a public-speaking competition organised by the Sibu Chapter of the Federation of Sarawak Chinese Independent Secondary Schools for the students from 14 Chinese independent schools in the state. I salute whoever conceived the idea of a public-speaking competition in three languages: Mandarin, Malay and English. What a great idea! We are on the same page. I hope that one day, there would be a competition of this nature in the future: the use of the Iban language or any of the indigenous languages in Sarawak. The organisers of trilingual competitions, please bear that in mind. First, learn one of the languages. It is high time we actively learn each other's language. I wish someone would start a school or classes in the native languages. The Iban language is already a subject taught in a university in Malaysia, but other indigenous languages are not. Think about possibilities. The importance of a language is not confined to communication between individuals, but it is also crucial to racial understanding and racial harmony. The loss of the language means the loss of the culture of the speakers of that language and, with it, racial identity. Ask the Hawaiians what they feel about losing their language. They used to have their own language, but after English was made the main language of the islands and the lingua franca for daily communication, the use of the indigenous language began to wane. Eventually, generations of Hawaiians did not use their mother tongue on a daily basis and the language slowly died out of lack of regular use. For the past 50 years, some young Hawaiians have been trying to revive interest in the language. I do not know what the status is now. My source, a native Hawaiian introduced to me by Dr Yusuf Hannifah in Honolulu in 1971 and became my regular correspondent for years, had passed away. End of personal communication. The latest I heard about the interest in reviving the Hawaiian language was when I read about a group of musicians from Hawaii who came to perform at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Santubong. In a press release, they meant to showcase, through their performances, their depictions of the traditional culture in their own ancestral knowledge in their language (The Borneo Post – June 22, 2025). The sound of music and the lyric of the song can be an excellent medium of communication. For example, the famous song 'Bekikis Bulu Betis' composed by Penghulu Andrewson Ngalai of Sibu, has been sung by the non-Ibans in every conceivable occasion. It is such an excellent medium for the propagation of the Iban language. Back on the 'kulaiwi' artistes. They highlighted their work as part of 'a larger cultural movement to revive Hawaiian language and tradition'. Note the revival of interest in the Hawaiian language and see the importance of the human tongue for the sustainability of human civilisation. * The opinions expressed in this article are the columnist's own and do not reflect the view of the newspaper. Iban language Melanau native sarawak
West Australian
12-06-2025
- West Australian
Ex-AFL umpire Troy Pannell in court delay over $8.7 million SeaRoad fraud case
There has been a further delay in the $8.7 million fraud case involving a former AFL umpire. Troy Pannell was allegedly on the run for more than two weeks before crashing his car after police attempted to stop him on Friday. An arrest warrant was issued for the 48-year-old in the Victorian Supreme Court last month after he failed to appear in a civil case involving his former employer, who is pursuing him over the multi-million dollar fraud they allege he benefited from. Pannell was due to appear in court on Wednesday and then again on Thursday, but the matter has been adjourned to a future date with ex-whistleblower possibly still in hospital. Pannell, who officiated 291 AFL games from 2005 to 2018 — including a controversial 2016 match where he awarded 17 free kicks to the eventual flag-winning Bulldogs and only one to Adelaide — was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday but is now expected to appear today. Pannell underwent life-saving surgery over the weekend after crashing his car into a tree on a country road in Victoria while allegedly fleeing from police. Police located him in Wheatsheaf and attempted to stop him. He failed to comply and drove off along Daylesford-Malmsbury Road. Police say it was not a pursuit, but Pannell's van crashed into a tree shortly afterward. He was airlifted in serious condition to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and underwent emergency surgery. He has since been formally arrested to be brought before the court for the civil case. His name was called out at the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday, but he was not in attendance. It was the second time he missed a scheduled court appearance, prompting Justice Andrew Watson to issue an arrest warrant. The court had believed he had left Victoria and was possibly heading to South Australia. Officers were instructed to keep him in custody until the next hearing. It is alleged that Pannell generated invoices to pay a company named Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors (ICSA) for repairs to damaged shipping containers, with each 'repair' costing SeaRoad between $800 and $900. Pannell allegedly had authority to approve purchase orders up to $5000. Suspicion arose when a finance manager noticed ICSA was not registered for GST. SeaRoad claims ICSA never performed any work and that it trusted Pannell to follow proper procedures. A letter from SeaRoad to Pannell, tendered in court, stated: 'SeaRoad is satisfied you have committed serious misconduct. You have been the sole shareholder and director of ICSA from 2010 to date. We find your response that you did not know you held these positions to be fanciful.' SeaRoad is asking the court to order Pannell — who also had financial interests in the racing industry — to repay the $8.7 million. A forensic search revealed that Pannell sent an email to his wife, Lynise Woodgate, in October 2023 titled 'Love U' , in which he wrote: 'I'm so sorry for everything … I don't know where 3 years have gone, we have been so busy … and had I realised everything I am feeling right now, 3 years ago … I would not feel the way I do today.' When the arrest warrant was issued in May, Crows great Mark Ricciuto said the AFL should investigate the infamous 2016 game in light of the court claims. 'The Bulldogs won the flag that year. If they hadn't won that game, they probably would've finished eighth and not advanced,' Ricciuto said on Triple M. 'Adelaide would've finished third instead of fifth. We would've had a double chance. It might have cost us a flag.' With 7NEWS
Perth Now
12-06-2025
- Perth Now
Ex-AFL umpire's $8.7 million fraud case faces another delay
There has been a further delay in the $8.7 million fraud case involving a former AFL umpire. Troy Pannell was allegedly on the run for more than two weeks before crashing his car after police attempted to stop him on Friday. An arrest warrant was issued for the 48-year-old in the Victorian Supreme Court last month after he failed to appear in a civil case involving his former employer, who is pursuing him over the multi-million dollar fraud they allege he benefited from. Pannell was due to appear in court on Wednesday and then again on Thursday, but the matter has been adjourned to a future date with ex-whistleblower possibly still in hospital. Pannell, who officiated 291 AFL games from 2005 to 2018 — including a controversial 2016 match where he awarded 17 free kicks to the eventual flag-winning Bulldogs and only one to Adelaide — was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday but is now expected to appear today. Pannell underwent life-saving surgery over the weekend after crashing his car into a tree on a country road in Victoria while allegedly fleeing from police. Police located him in Wheatsheaf and attempted to stop him. He failed to comply and drove off along Daylesford-Malmsbury Road. Police say it was not a pursuit, but Pannell's van crashed into a tree shortly afterward. He was airlifted in serious condition to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and underwent emergency surgery. He has since been formally arrested to be brought before the court for the civil case. His name was called out at the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday, but he was not in attendance. It was the second time he missed a scheduled court appearance, prompting Justice Andrew Watson to issue an arrest warrant. The court had believed he had left Victoria and was possibly heading to South Australia. Officers were instructed to keep him in custody until the next hearing. It is alleged that Pannell generated invoices to pay a company named Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors (ICSA) for repairs to damaged shipping containers, with each 'repair' costing SeaRoad between $800 and $900. Pannell allegedly had authority to approve purchase orders up to $5000. Suspicion arose when a finance manager noticed ICSA was not registered for GST. SeaRoad claims ICSA never performed any work and that it trusted Pannell to follow proper procedures. A letter from SeaRoad to Pannell, tendered in court, stated: 'SeaRoad is satisfied you have committed serious misconduct. You have been the sole shareholder and director of ICSA from 2010 to date. We find your response that you did not know you held these positions to be fanciful.' SeaRoad is asking the court to order Pannell — who also had financial interests in the racing industry — to repay the $8.7 million. A forensic search revealed that Pannell sent an email to his wife, Lynise Woodgate, in October 2023 titled 'Love U' , in which he wrote: 'I'm so sorry for everything … I don't know where 3 years have gone, we have been so busy … and had I realised everything I am feeling right now, 3 years ago … I would not feel the way I do today.' When the arrest warrant was issued in May, Crows great Mark Ricciuto said the AFL should investigate the infamous 2016 game in light of the court claims. 'The Bulldogs won the flag that year. If they hadn't won that game, they probably would've finished eighth and not advanced,' Ricciuto said on Triple M. 'Adelaide would've finished third instead of fifth. We would've had a double chance. It might have cost us a flag.' With 7NEWS
