The State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) has obtained a conviction against a New South Wales Compulsory Third Party (CTP) claimant for submitting certificates that misrepresented his employment status to his insurer. On Feb. 25, 2026, the Local Court sentenced Moeed Ghauree under section 6.40(c) of the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 (NSW) in relation to conduct between November 2023 and January 2024. The proceedings concerned three Certificates of Fitness lodged with QBE Insurance stating that he was not working during the relevant periods. Subsequent surveillance established that Ghauree was employed as a security guard when those certificates were submitted.
The court imposed a 12‑month Community Correction Order, commencing Feb. 25, 2026, and ordered him to pay SIRA $5,000 in professional costs. In sentencing, the magistrate noted that a custodial term was not appropriate on the facts of the case but referred to the need for deterrence in matters involving statutory schemes. Her Honour observed that “while this was not a matter in which she would impose a jail sentence, the sentence had to send a message to other people in the community.” SIRA has connected the case to its wider compliance and enforcement work across the NSW CTP and workers’ compensation schemes.
The case shows how surveillance and employment checks can be used in assessing ongoing entitlement to weekly benefits where a claimant reports incapacity for work. In this matter, the court relied on evidence that Ghauree was undertaking paid work while submitting certificates that indicated otherwise. The court’s orders included a community‑based sentence, restitution‑type costs to the regulator, and a recorded conviction. These outcomes form part of the range of sanctions currently being applied in CTP‑related prosecutions, alongside fines and intensive correction orders in other matters. SIRA has stated that it treats misleading or false statements within statutory schemes as a regulatory concern and that it is prepared to bring matters before the courts where it considers enforcement action appropriate.
The Ghauree decision follows a series of prosecutions that SIRA has pursued since early 2024. According to the regulator, from January 2024 it has secured 11 prosecutions relating to fraud or non‑insurance, with further cases before the courts or under active investigation. In outlining its current enforcement stance, SIRA has publicly said it is “sending a clear message to fraudsters: cheat the system, and you will be caught and punished.” Since August 2024, SIRA has finalised four other CTP‑related prosecutions for fraud‑related conduct, in addition to the Ghauree case.
In October 2024, Tina Pour‑Zahrouni was prosecuted under section 6.41 of the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 (NSW) for falsely claiming she was unable to work following a motor vehicle crash. While working full‑time, she received $55,698.06 in benefits from GIO. She admitted the conduct and agreed to repay $40,457.06. The court imposed a 12‑month Intensive Correction Order, a $1,100 fine, and $6,203.03 in prosecution costs.
On May 8, 2025, Issa Abid was sentenced under section 192E of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) for dishonestly obtaining payments by deception after submitting false certificates and declarations to a CTP insurer while employed. He received $135,166.01 in weekly loss‑of‑income benefits, which were repaid before sentencing. The court imposed a 12‑month Intensive Correction Order, prosecution costs of $12,620.49, and ordered that he submit fingerprints to police.
On Nov. 6, 2025, Zheng Liang was prosecuted under section 192E(1)(b) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) for falsely representing that he was unable to work while employed and receiving $4,853.41 in compensation. He received a 15‑month Community Corrections Order and was ordered to pay $6,000 in professional costs. On Nov. 13, 2025, Rajbir Singh was prosecuted under section 6.40 of the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 (NSW) for making a false and misleading statement to a CTP insurer. The court imposed a $1,000 fine and $4,000 in professional costs.
The recent cases show ongoing regulatory and judicial scrutiny of claimant work status, earnings disclosure, and the accuracy of information provided in support of CTP statutory benefits. Recent CTP prosecutions show SIRA using criminal charges, community‑based orders, fines, restitution, and cost orders where claimants provide false or misleading information about their capacity for work or employment status. In these matters, verification of income and employment has included the use of surveillance and cross‑checking of declarations against other data sources.
In this environment, CTP insurers and intermediaries may face continuing expectations around claim investigation processes, information‑sharing with the regulator in suspected fraud matters, and record‑keeping that can be used to test entitlement and disclosure. For scheme participants, the recent outcomes show that inaccuracies in CTP claims relating to work and income can result in regulatory and court‑imposed consequences.
