A former NAB executive staffer has been granted strict bail after facing court over an alleged long-running $40 million fraud against the bank.
Rosemary Rogers, 43, the former chief of staff to ex-NAB boss Andrew Thorburn, faced Sydney's Central Local Court on Tuesday accused of accepting bribes during the latter years of her two-decade career at the bank.
The Melbourne woman earlier flew to Sydney to meet detectives, who charged her with dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and 56 counts of corruptly receiving a benefit.
Police told the court the Melbourne woman was motivated by greed as she funded a "very luxurious life" with benefits valued at $5.4 million.
Those payments came from a contractor to the bank, police say.
Police have charged Ms Rogers with with 56 counts of agent corruptly receive benefit, and dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception. Source: Supplied
"It's a serious offence and its nature ties in with the position she held ... a position of advantage," a police prosecutor told the court.
Rogers' lawyer, Matthew McAuliffe, said prosecution concerns that his client could flee while on bail were unfounded.
He said she couldn't offer a large surety because the crime commission had frozen her assets.
NSW Police allege a training company paid some $6.6 million in bribes to ensure contracts with NAB remained "viable". Source: AAP
Magistrate Robert Williams said the case against Rogers was strong and she would likely be jailed if found guilty of all the charges.
But he said Rogers had no criminal record and there was little evidence she'd try to flee.
"She appears to have cooperated in the process since November 2017 including presenting to police today," Mr Williams said.
As part of her bail conditions, Rogers must obey a nightly curfew at her Melbourne home, report daily to local police and not use encrypted messaging services such as WhatsApp.
She's also banned from approaching international ports of departure except to fly to Sydney for court appearances.
A Sydney company director has been charged with more than 50 offences over an alleged fraud against the NAB Source: AAP
Rogers was excused from attending the case's next mention at Downing Centre Local Court on March 19.
Her co-accused - Human Group director Helen Rosamond - was charged last week with 56 bribery offences and two other offences.
Rosamond allegedly forked out more than $6.6 million in bribes to maintain a relationship between her training company and NAB.
Police say the total amount involved in the alleged fraud is about $40 million.
NAB has stressed it "is the victim in this matter".
"Police have confirmed that no one at NAB is under investigation, including former CEO Andrew Thorburn, and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by anyone at NAB," a spokesperson said late last week.
