A former Ballarat City Council officer and his wife have pleaded guilty to fraud offences and will have their hearing dealt with in a higher jurisdiction.
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Former sport and recreational manager Lukas Peter Carey is charged with eight offences, including obtaining financial advantage by deception and soliciting secret commissions.
His wife, Jasmine Finnigan, is charged with two counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception.
The pair entered pleas of guilty to the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission charges at Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday.
The court was told Carey allocated consultation work to and authorised payment on behalf of the Ballarat City Council to his friends and wife totaling $184,123 over a two-year period.
Carey was then paid $31,200 in secret commissions.
Magistrate Gregory Robinson refused a summary jurisdiction application for the couples plea hearings to be held in the Magistrates Court.
He described Carey and Finnigans offending as quite serious fraud against the City of Ballarat and he used a position of trust to take a large amount of public money for himself.
In refusing Careys summary jurisdiction application, Mr Robinson said Carey could be regarded as the rotten apple who has affected the rest of the bunch, referring to Careys co-accused.
He stands at the top of the tree, he said.
Mr Robinson said he accepted Finnigan was in a different situation and her sentence would be less severe.
He said the couple should be dealt with in the same jurisdiction.
Mr Carey and Ms Finnigan continued with their dishonesty and its not until now they have accepted responsibility for their offending, Mr Robinson said.
The court was told, despite having no expertise, Finnigan was contracted to provide discussion papers on various matters, including croquet and strategies.
The court was told Carey and Finnigan did not disclose their relationship in order for her to be contracted the work and she went by the name Carole.
Prosecutor Lachlan Cameron said the offending was a breach of trust with council employees and the community.
The pairs plea hearing will be held in the County Court at Ballarat when the circuit starts on August 22.
