John Friedrich seemed to have it all: helicopters, cutting-edge rescue technology, political support and a reputation as one of Australia’s great visionaries. But behind the spectacle, doubts are beginning to surface. As competitors, journalists, auditors and investigators start asking difficult questions, Friedrich’s carefully constructed image begins to unravel. What follows is the exposure of one of the largest frauds in Australian history — and the beginning of a nationwide manhunt.
Also watch the SBS documentary Australia's Greatest Conman? on SBS on Demand.
The National Safety Council of Australia appears unstoppable. Its fleet is growing, politicians and financiers are impressed, and John Friedrich is celebrated as a pioneering leader transforming emergency services across the country. Yet not everyone is convinced.
When airline executive Bill Meeke takes a closer look at the organisation’s finances, the numbers simply do not add up. Together with journalists, auditors, police investigators and former insiders, he begins pulling at threads that reveal a far more troubling story. Claims of secret government connections, phantom assets used to secure loans, allegations of intimidation and an ever-expanding mountain of debt raise a simple but dangerous question: who is John Friedrich really?
As the pressure mounts and the facade starts to crack, one of Australia's most extraordinary success stories rapidly turns into one of its biggest scandals.
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