RELEASE DATE 23/02/2007
A Murray Bridge man was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to 14 counts of dishonestly obtaining WorkCover payments.
Nigel Vodopivec defrauded WorkCover of income maintenance payments over a four-and-a-half month period. He was convicted in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on 15 February 2007. In addition to serving a prison sentence, he was ordered to repay the full amount of monies obtained illegally.
In handing down the sentence, State Magistrate Field noted that although the monetary amount was not large (approx. $5,000), the penalty acknowledged previous offences and was severe enough to act as a deterrent against WorkCover fraud.
Mr Vodopivec’s previous conviction for fraud against WorkCover was in 1998 when he pleaded guilty to nine counts of dishonesty and three counts of making false statements. He was sentenced to six months (suspended) imprisonment and ordered to repay WorkCover the monies illegally obtained, as well as investigation and legal costs and court fees – a total of approximately $14,000.
“The sentence handed down to Mr Vodopivec is appropriate given his history of committing fraud against WorkCover. It should send a clear message of deterrence to others contemplating similar actions,” said WorkCover Chief Executive Officer, Julia Davison.
On a separate matter, WorkCover will appeal the suspension of a custodial sentence for Rocco Musolino, who in April 2004, pleaded guilty to 82 offences against WorkCover.
On 6 February 2007, Mr Musolino successfully appealed his jail sentence after repaying $60,000 to WorkCover, and received a three-year good behaviour bond. WorkCover will appeal the decision to the Full Bench of the Supreme Court.
“The South Australian Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Scheme exists to support the 38,000 South Australians who have their lives affected by workplace injury each year. WorkCover takes issues of fraud and deception very seriously and we will actively pursue and prosecute such incidences,” said Julia Davison.
“People who take advantage of WorkCover are ripping-off injured workers who genuinely need the support of the Scheme, and the employers who fund the Scheme to protect their workers.”
Media contact: Danielle Martin, WorkCover SA – (08) 8233 2381 or 0418 295 324
Background information on WorkCover
WorkCover is funded by employers to manage a balanced and financially sound system that rehabilitates, compensates and returns injured workers to safe workplaces and the community.
WorkCover began operations in 1987 and is constituted as a statutory authority under the WorkCover Corporations Act 1994 with a Board appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the responsible Minister (now the Minister for Industrial Relations).
WorkCover is responsible for administering the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1986.
WorkCover manages South Australia’s Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Scheme on behalf of about 65,000 employers, providing rehabilitation and compensation support for an estimated 500,000 employees (about 60 per cent of the state’s workforce).
In 2005-06, there were 22,930 claims incurred by workers employed by registered employers and 14,064 claims by workers employed by self-insurers (37,465 in total):
- 79 per cent of WorkCover claimants do not have any lost time from work (less than 9 days)
- 49 per cent of WorkCover claimants return to work within 1 month
- 71 per cent of WorkCover claimants return to work within 3 months
- Out of every 100 injured workers, 82 leave the Scheme within 12 months.
Access our most recent annual report.