Corruption claims fly in NAB fraud trial

Corrupt payments and altered invoices were all part of an accused fraudster's plan to reward a NAB senior staffer and lock in extended business contracts with the bank, a jury has heard.

In closing submissions during the NSW District Court trial of Helen Mary Rosamond on Wednesday, prosecutor Katrina Mackenzie detailed over $1.2 million in allegedly fraudulent payments approved by the Human Group chief executive between 2013 and 2017.

While the 47-year old has pleaded not guilty to dozens of bribery and fraud charges, Ms Mackenzie said Rosamond dishonestly used bank funds to support a life of luxury for Rosemary Rogers, former chief of staff to the National Bank of Australia's CEO.

"This is the way the accused ensures that Rose Rogers stays onside, stays happy, and continues to get her benefits which ... Ms Rogers said she'd become dependent on to maintain her lifestyle," Ms Mackenzie told the court.

Rosamond allegedly paid for Rogers and her family to fly off on trips within Australia and overseas, charging these amounts to NAB through fraudulent, altered invoices so the bank and staff at events and human resources company Human Group were none-the-wiser.

These payments included $3200 for a stay at Sydney's Four Seasons Hotel, $7500 for a trip to Fiji, $40,000 for a weekend at Sydney's Park Hyatt, and $21,000 for Roger's relatives to fly to Broome in Western Australia.

Further travel funds allegedly offered to Rogers were $250,000 for a family trip to a resort on the privately owned Laucala Island in Fiji, $35,000 for a stay at the Gold Coast's Palazzo Versace for a friend's birthday, and $29,000 to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary at the Sapphire Resort in Hobart.

These trips were personal and not for business purposes, Rogers told the court, with no NAB functions occurring at locations like Fiji or Tasmania.

Rogers also received $12,000 for a Brig Falcon boat, over $128,000 to cover patio renovations at her holiday home in Bellbrae, Victoria, and around $91,000 to pay for a Bunkhouse Cell caravan.

She repaid none of these amounts, telling the court she simply asked Rosamond to pay them and it was done.

Rogers previously told the jury she was sent to prison in December 2020 after pleading guilty to 27 counts of corruptly receiving a benefit and five of obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

Rosamond allegedly also used these fraudulent invoices for her own benefit.

The crown case is that she put $139,000 towards a family holiday to the USA and Canada, including a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer train and separately drew down $14,000 for catering for her 40th birthday.

She is also claimed to have used over $372,000 worth of NAB funds to pay for landscaping at her home in the Sydney suburb of Mosman and a further $40,000 to buy a set of large umbrellas for her garden.

Around $32,000 worth of work done on Rosamond's catamaran was also allegedly paid for by the bank.

These payments were not authorised by NAB and were made not only to financially benefit Rosamond but to ensure that Human Group's contract with the bank would be extended, the court heard.

On June 19, 2014, Rogers requested that Human Group's contract with NAB, initially signed in 2008, would be extended for a further two years. This extension was green lit six days later.

Ms Mackenzie will continue her submissions on Thursday.