Aboriginal Land Council CEO Funnelled $24 Million to His Own Company, Audit Finds

The Anindilyakwa Land Council will appear before a federal parliamentary hearing on Feb. 16 to explain why $24 million (US$15.6 million), or 50 percent, of the mining royalties it received in 2021-22 were invested in a company co-owned and operated by its CEO Mark Hewitt and chair Tony Wurramarrba. The Council is responsible for managing the royalties from the world’s largest manganese mine on Groote Eylandt, the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, which is part of the Northern Territory. Royalties have ranged from $15.1 million in 2016-17 to $86 million in 2018-19. The Australian National Audit Office found the money went to Winchelsea Mining, owned by the two men, through other organisations including the Groote Holdings Aboriginal Corporation (GHAC), and the Anindilyakwa Advancement Aboriginal Corporation (AAAC)....