A man accused of defrauding an Indigenous community in Cairns District Court has been defended by his lawyers as acting with a "best effort" to account for money taken from trust accounts, rather than showing dishonesty. The accused, Larry Joe Woosup, is charged with two counts of fraud worth $30,000 or more each. Key evidence presented during the trial includes cash withdrawals and expenses such as purchasing three cars and accommodation costs. The defence argues that while Mr. Woosup may have made mistakes in accounting for the money, it was not done with a "dishonest mind".
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Larry Joe Woosup, a traditional owner of the Ankumuthi Indigenous community, is on trial in Cairns District Court for allegedly defrauding his community out of more than $60,000. The prosecution claims that Woosup misused funds from trust accounts he managed for the community, but his lawyers argue that his actions show a "best effort" to account for the money rather than a deliberate attempt to deceive. The trial has revealed that Woosup and another community member negotiated a deal with a mining company to mine bauxite on traditional lands, despite a previous agreement having stalled. The jury was informed that it is an undisputed fact that Woosup used the overdraft capacity of the trust accounts for personal expenses, including listing $13,000 in one fortnight as "personal expenses" and multiple cash withdrawals worth up to $5,000 each as "Trust bills". The prosecution must now convince the jury of Woosup's guilt, with Judge Joshua Treviño KC expected to conclude his summing up to the jury on Monday.
Written for “Indigenous Community Scam Charges” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 1718 · logged 2026-08-31
In short:
The court has heard closing statements from both crown prosecutors and Mr Woosup's defence lawyers in the Cairns District Court.
asserted
court → hear → Court
Both argued over evidence or lack thereof of Mr Woosup's "dishonesty" in how money taken from trust accounts was used.
What's next?
The trial is expected to conclude on Monday when Judge Joshua Treviño KC concludes his summing up to the jury.
asserted
KC → argue → jury
Lawyers representing a man accused of defrauding money meant for an Indigenous community say his actions do not show a "dishonest mind" but a "best effort" to account for where the money went.
asserted
money → represent → mind
Ankumuthi traditional owner Larry Joe Woosup has been charged with two counts of fraud to a value of $30,000 or more each.
asserted
Woosup → charge → 30,000
He has pleaded not guilty.
asserted
He → plead → ?
During the trial this week, the District Court in Cairns heard Mr Woosup and another community member arranged a deal with a mining company over the right to mine bauxite on traditional lands a year after a separate deal with the community reached a stalemate.
asserted
deal → hear → stalemate
Mr Woosup then set up trust accounts with two different banks for the Ankumuthi community, where he was the sole trustee.
asserted
he → set → community
The jury was told it was an undisputed fact that Mr Woosup then used the overdraft capacity on one account to transfer and withdraw $110,000 and deposited a cheque for $95,000 from the mining company into the other account, which was then also withdrawn.
asserted
which → tell → account
The requirement for both trusts was for all money to be used for the benefit of the Ankumuthi community, the court was told.
asserted
court → use → community
The crown case
Crown prosecutor Christian Peters told the jury Mr Woosup's dishonesty had been set out in "black and white".
asserted
dishonesty → tell → black
He said Mr Woosup was well and truly aware of his role as trustee and had been receiving advice every step of the way.
asserted
Woosup → say → way
Mr Peters highlighted the various cash withdrawals from the multiple trust accounts, as well as some of the records of expenditure, including the purchase of three cars and numerous accommodation expenses.
asserted
Peters → highlight → cars
Mr Peters also questioned the responses Mr Woosup gave in a questionnaire for federal court proceedings, where he listed a total of $13,000 in a fortnight as "personal expenses" and multiple cash withdrawals, each up to $5,000 in value, as non-specific "Trust bills".
asserted
he → question → bills
What bills was the trust paying?"Mr Peters said.
asserted
Peters → say → bills
He also referenced some of Mr Woosup's conduct in the years after the alleged fraud, where other members of the Ankumuthi community confronted him about rumours he had taken money meant for the community.
asserted
he → reference → community
In one witness's recollection, Mr Woosup apologised and asked for forgiveness.
"That is an admission by him … that that money was not used for the principal purposes of that trust,"Mr Peters said.
asserted
Peters → apologise → purposes
Mr Woosup's defence barrister, Matt Jackson, told the court that when questions first started to be raised about where trust money was spent, Mr Woosup engaged an accountant and provided bank statements and receipts.
asserted
Woosup → tell → statements
Mr Jackson suggested to the jury that this was a "pretty good effort" to engage with the process and indicated an "honest state of mind".
uncertain
this → suggest → mind
He said the prosecution had an issue with Mr Woosup's use of cash and said while Mr Peters had asserted the purpose would be to defy tracing, Mr Jackson insisted it was not uncommon for Mr Woosup to pay bills in cash.
asserted
Woosup → say → cash
Mr Jackson also questioned if the prosecution had truly provided any evidence the money had not gone back to the community.
asserted
money → question → community
He said the cars purchased had been used for cultural surveys on country, and that many of the witnesses called who said they had not received any money only became recognised as Native Title holders years after the events.
asserted
they → say → events
The jury heard from Mr Jackson that the many errors in Mr Woosup's documentation were evidence of the passage of time, rather than dishonesty.
"This case is not about what the trust means … it's about what Larry Woosup meant,"Mr Jackson said.
asserted
Jackson → hear → what
He said his conduct, including his denials and apologies to members of the Ankumuthi community after the events, was also consistent with the state of mind that he did not do anything wrong.
asserted
he → say → anything
"People can apologise for a number of different reasons … it doesn't mean they're trying to hide," Mr Jackson said.
asserted
Jackson → apologise → reasons
Judge Joshua Treviño KC has begun his summing up to the jury and will continue when court resumes on Monday.
asserted
court → begin → Monday