A New South Wales man has been convicted of multiple offences relating to fraudulent claims under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, including installing rooftop solar systems without the proper accreditation.
The CER announced on Wednesday that Craig Burmeister, an electrician, had pleaded guilty before the Wagga Wagga Local Court and been convicted of 11 separate offences regarding the design and installation of solar systems.
Burmeister was convicted of two offences of giving information derived from false documents and nine offences of procuring others to give information derived from false documents.
According to the CER, Burmeister “procured other accredited installers and his employees to sign off on and claim small-scale technology certificates (STCs) for installations he himself completed.”
Under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), however, STCs can only be claimed when the installation is carried out or supervised by an accredited installer.
“Procuring others to commit fraud does not shield individuals from prosecution, as those who assist or encourage an offence are treated as having committed the offence themselves,” the CER concluded.
The Wagga Wagga Local Court found Burmeister guilty and awarded him a criminal conviction for each offence, 200 hours of community service, and a fine of $5,500, and he is also now no longer accredited to design or install solar PV systems and is no longer a licensed electrician.
