As previously mentioned, Tony Guilfoyle could not loot City Tatts all by himself. He needed the full support of a team willing to sell their souls for money.
Mark Cooper, the City Tatts “Financial Controller”, is certainly one of those.
From a financial point of view, City Tatts is probably the worst run club in Sydney, when you compare the dismal performance to how it should be, given all of it’s advantages.
But to Tony Guilfoyle, and the Committee, that doesn’t matter.
Mark Cooper’s real role is “Keeper of the Secrets”.
All the financial information from the various departments is carefully segregated and goes directly to him. So he is the only one who knows the complete picture.
That’s the way Guilfoyle wants it, but it also means that Cooper will have nowhere to hide if a liquidator, or the police, start asking questions.
Cooper has been overpaid for the entire time he has worked under Guilfoyle. In 2005 his salary was $190,000. At the time the most any financial controller was being paid in a similar sized club was $140,000 (and they were all run much better). His salary stayed at $190,000 until 2011 when it was increased to $200,000. Since he has been overpaid by $50,000 each and every year it means he has been gifted $550,000 in 11 years on top of his normal salary.
Not bad for someone who is not even an accountant!
But there is a reason for this generosity with members money.
City Tatts has been bled dry on every side by waste and embezzlement.
Millions have disappeared on dubious building projects. Restaurant expenses are so high they must be paying for supplies that never arrive at City Tatts. The poker machine takings make no sense, and a skim operation is the most likely explanation. The wages bill is way above anything that could be explained by the number of employees, even when the inflated salaries of the inner circle are taken into account.
And then, of course, there are special rorts, like paying Guilfoyle $200,000 on top of his insane salary, without telling the Committee.
The financial controller had to be onside to do all this.
And Mark Cooper was the obvious choice. He was Keith Free’s nephew and, of course, it was Keith Free who nominated Tony Guilfoyle for the top job. And, don’t forget, Keith Free ran the Bookmakers Superannuation Fund from City Tatts for 20 years.
Some people think that Mark Cooper will be the first to crack when the police come calling.
We don’t think so. He knows that he is going to jail for a long stretch if the full story of all the corruption at City Tatts is ever revealed. So we think he will hold out to the very end.
Save City Tatts Committee
Save City Tatts 