Media Releases

The brother of jailed Department of Education and Training (DET) Director, Nino Napoli, has been sentenced to a Community Corrections Order following IBAC’s Operation Ord.

Mr Robert Napoli was yesterday sentenced in the County Court of Victoria to a Community Corrections Order for a period of three years, including a condition of 300 hours of community work to be performed.

Mr Napoli had entered a guilty plea in July 2021 to one charge of conspiracy to defraud.

His Honour Judge Georgiou noted Mr Robert Napoli willingly and knowingly engaged in the fraud, though he was not the principal offender, nor a public officer.  He also noted the offending as long running and deliberately structured to avoid detection.

IBAC’s Operation Ord was a major investigation into allegations of corrupt conduct by senior officers of DET, in connection with the use of ‘banker schools’ and related activities.

Mr Napoli’s brother Nino Napoli, the former DET Director, was previously sentenced to three years and 10 months prison in July 2021, and his cousin, Mr Carlo Squillacioti, was sentenced to two years and five months prison.

IBAC's investigation focused on allegations that senior departmental officers misappropriated funds from the Department's budget, through false and inflated invoicing as well as arranging payment of inappropriate expenses including excessive hospitality, travel and personal items.

As part of Operation Ord, IBAC held public hearings between April and June 2015, and tabled a special report to Parliament in April 2016. IBAC also made a range of recommendations to DET to improve its policies, systems and practices to prevent corruption. DET's reports on its implementation of these recommendations are available on our website.

Media contact: media@ibac.vic.gov.au or 0427 480 840