A former AFL umpire allegedly at the centre of a Brownlow Medal betting scandal will have to wait even longer for his day in court, with prosecutors asking for more time to prepare their case.
The case against Michael Pell, who resigned from AFL umpiring in 2022, was expected to return to court today but has been adjourned until December.
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Pell faces six charges related to an alleged $300,000 fraud.
7NEWS has been told the delay is coming from prosecutors who have requested additional time to build their case in what has already been a three-year investigation.
The former umpire is charged with six offences, including that he communicated Brownlow vote information from six games in 2021 to three people.
Three other people have also been charged over the alleged fraud scheme, including Pell’s brother.
Pell is further accused of placing bets on “to poll three Brownlow Medal votes” and “to poll a Brownlow Medal vote” from five or six AFL games under the account name Lincoln Busby.
He allegedly placed bets under this name with Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and Neds in September 2021, while “being in possession of information in connection with the event contingency about conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome of the event”.
Forde, 35, is facing 53 charges, including dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by using another person’s credentials to operate a betting account, passing on information to others to place fraudulent bets, and placing fraudulent bets himself, on the 2021 and 2022 Brownlows.
He allegedly also placed bets across a range of wagering services – including Palmerbet, Betstar, Bookmaker, TAB, bet365, Betfair, TopSport, Ladbrokes and Neds – under his own name.
Pell’s brother Donovan, 31, has been charged with 23 offences, including using two different account names and dishonestly obtaining their personal credentials, to place bets about who would poll Brownlow Medal votes at the 2021 awards.
Mitch Lucas, 32, has been accused of 20 offences including communicating information about the 2022 Brownlows to others, knowing they would place bets, and placing bets himself under both his own name and a different name.
In the meantime, 7NEWS understands Pell has been stood down from his teaching duties by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic schools.
It’s hoped the matter will finally proceed when it returns to court in December.
– With AAP
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