The former state director of the Victorian Liberal Party Damien Mantach has been accused of embezzling around $1.5 million in state and federal election campaign funds over the last four years. 

Mr Mantach, 42, has been charged with 44 counts of gaining financial advantage from his position as state director. It is alleged that the money he stole was used to fund his lifestyle.

Mantach acted as Tasmanian Liberal Party state director from 2005 to 2008, after which time he was ordered to pay back almost $48,000 in personal spending before being forced to resign.

He then served as Victorian director from 2011 to 2014. During which time he has been accused of unlawfully syphoning state and federal campaign funds into his wife's bank account, through an elaborate system of fake mail and logistics payments, allegedly diverting $82,750 of Liberal party campaign funds into a personal joint account.

Earlier this year, the Victorian Liberal Party paid almost $200,000 to the Victorian and Federal Parliaments after it was found that Mr Mantach was involved in a kickback scheme using taxpayer money.

All told, it is believed that Mr Mantach has defrauded the Liberal Party of more than $1.53 million. His wife Jodie has denied any wrongdoing.

He appeared in a Melbourne Magistrate’s Court yesterday but remained silent during proceedings. He has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance in February.

The Federal Opposition wasted no time in linking the scandal to the Turnbull Government, with Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus saying, "This isn't just about the Victorian Liberal Party, this goes straight to the Federal Liberal Party and people the Prime Minister takes advice from. I don't think anyone thinks this matter stops at Damian Mantach."

Read more at www.abc.net.au

What do you think of Mr Mantach’s actions? What should be his penalty? How do you feel about his employment as Victorian state director after his past indiscretions in a similar role in Tasmania? Do you think this type of fraud is more commonplace than we would like to believe?