Former NAB boss’ chief of staff arrested over alleged fraud

By Staff Reporter

A former senior executive at the National Australia Bank has been arrested after travelling from Melbourne to Sydney to be interviewed by police over an alleged $40 million fraud engulfing the bank.

Rosemary Rogers, the former chief of staff to former NAB boss Andrew Thorburn presented herself at Surry Hills police station around 11am on Tuesday, after flying of her own accord to Sydney.

Ms Rogers is the second person to be arrested over the alleged multimillion-dollar fraud against the bank, after Helen Rosamond, a former chief executive to Sydney-based human resources firm Human Group, was arrested at her Potts Point home on Friday last week.

It is understood she travelled to Sydney from Williamstown, Victoria, where she lives.

Ms Rosamond spent the weekend in jail after she was charged with more than 50 bribery and corruption related offences linked to the scandal, in which she allegedly paid multiple extravagant bribes to Ms Rogers to secure her approval of bloated invoices to the bank.

he had successfully applied for bail in Central Local Court on Friday, after offering a $200,000 surety. However it was not until Monday that all documents and funds could be finalised to allow for her release.

It is alleged the bribery and corruption took place over four years, between 2013 and 2017.

At the time the women were allegedly working together Ms Rogers was the chief of staff to Mr Thorburn.

She resigned from the role in December 2017.

Last month, Supreme Courts in NSW and Victoria slapped freezing orders over Ms Rogers’ $6.2 million property portfolio, three of her bank accounts and a $1 million NAB bank cheque following a proceeds of crime application by the NSW Crime Commission last year.

Lucy Cormack/The Age