Swindled 118. The Prince (Joel Morehu-Barlow)
Oct 9, 2024
Joel Morehu-Barlow, a government employee turned con artist, infamously posed as a Tahitian prince and executed the largest public sector fraud in Queensland history. He embezzled over $16 million, exploiting a disastrous payroll system rollout. The discussion unveils his double life and the investigation that followed, balancing the serious effects of his actions with unexpected humor. Barlow's journey through incarceration and the psychological factors behind his fraud offer a gripping tale of crime, deception, and ultimately, redemption.
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Queensland Health Payroll Disaster
- Queensland Health's payroll system overhaul in 2010, managed by IBM, was a disaster.
- Thousands of employees were underpaid or overpaid, costing over 300 million dollars and prompting public outcry.
The Fake Tahitian Prince
- In 2011, amidst the payroll chaos, Queensland Health faced another scandal: $16 million embezzled by Joel Barlow, a bureaucrat posing as a Tahitian prince.
- This added to the existing embarrassment.
Discovery of the Fraud
- Belinda Lutz, a Queensland Health employee, discovered overspending and unauthorized payments to Healthy Initiatives and Choices.
- She later found out that Joel Barlow, her superior, was the director of HIC.