A man who is accused of defrauding NSW universities of more than $110,000 went to work for the state government after being sacked from one university for misconduct, a corruption inquiry has heard.
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Former IT manager Brett Roberts is being investigated over allegations he issued "fictitious" invoices to the University of Newcastle, the University of Sydney and Macquarie University, where he worked between 2005 and 2013.
Within minutes of appearing in the Independent Commission Against Corruption witness box on Tuesday, Mr Roberts was forced to admit he had lied on his CV and he did not have an associate diploma or a Bachelor of Science in computing.
"Do you understand the difference between fact and fiction, Mr Roberts?" counsel assisting the ICAC, Anthony McGrath, SC, asked after a further lie in his CV was revealed.
"Yes," Mr Roberts replied.
Mr Roberts was sacked from Macquarie University in December 2013 following an internal misconduct investigation.
He told the ICAC he went on to work for about nine months at the NSW Department of Trade and Investment, "helping with some government work around change management".
Mr Roberts is now working part-time at the former NSW government electricity company Macquarie Generation, which was privatised in September last year.
The inquiry has heard Mr Roberts used a company owned by his friend to issue fake invoices to the three universities, where he held various IT management positions.
The University of Sydney paid $43,065, Macquarie University $42,900 and the University of Newcastle $27,750.
The commission has previously heard Mr Roberts unsuccessfully tried to obtain a further $97,350 from Macquarie University.
The witness, who can only be identified as RH, told the inquiry that when people "search [his] name" online, "ICAC investigation" appears.
RH told Commissioner Megan Latham he had "literally helped hundreds of people in my time" and his company was "involved with some charities".
Commissioner Latham said that the normal practice was to suppress a person's identity only where their security might be at risk.
"I know this is small comfort to people who appear before the commission as witnesses," she said.
"We have made it clear that we don't have any reason to think you've engaged in any wrongdoing; however, I appreciate that that may not be the perception of others in the business community.
"In view of the fact that you do have connections with charitable organisations it is perhaps a reasonable request."
The suppression order will be viewed with interest by the legal community.
Many witnesses who give evidence at the ICAC are not implicated in alleged corruption and would likely wish to have a similar order made to avoid the media spotlight.
