Pokies addict who stole $3m gets five years

Australia -- A FORMER Commonwealth Bank branch manager has been sentenced to jail for a minimum of five years for stealing more than $3 million.

Regina Bouskila, 50, of North Bondi, used money stolen from customers at the Rose Bay North and Double Bay branches to fuel an addiction to poker machines. Bouskila had worked at the Commonwealth Bank for 25 years.

Downing Centre District Court was told on Thursday that Bouskila used her position as branch manager at Rose Bay North to withdraw "extremely large amounts of money" from five principal victims. Two were elderly and another was dealing with the trauma of her husband being terminally ill.

"When cash or cheques were issued she personally took possession of them," Judge Jonathan Williams said during sentencing.

The fraud was detected in March 2006 when Bouskila took leave to go to Israel. An employee filling in for her contacted her to advise a substantial amount of money was missing that could not be accounted for. When Bouskila returned to Australia in April 2006 she admitted she had stolen the money for personal use, putting it through poker machines at the Hakoah Club and Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club.

The court heard Bouskila's gambling addiction began in 1992, following the death of her mother. A psychologist's report said other contributing factors included an abusive marriage, which she had since left, and that her eldest daughter had been made a ward of the state.

Judge Williams said there was no evidence Bouskila deliberately targeted her elderly victims, and that the primary victim was the bank.

"I find it disturbing she still participates in playing poker machines, even though this is at a low level," he said.

Bouskila was sentenced to a minimum five years' jail. She will not be eligible for parole until November 2012.

One of the victims present during the sentencing said she almost suffered a nervous breakdown when the Commonwealth Bank advised her account was being investigated. "I had no idea. It's such a shock to the system," she said.

The woman, of Rose Bay, said she wished the sentence was "a lot longer".

News Added: 15 December, 2007

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