Victorian Nationals MP Tim McCurdy will have to convince voters to re-elect him and a jury he is innocent after being committed to stand trial on allegations of a near-decade-old dodgy real estate deal.
The Ovens Valley MP was committed to stand trial on Thursday after a two-day hearing to determine the veracity of evidence against him.
It's alleged McCurdy, 55, sold two dairy farms in 2009, wrongly using former colleague Andrew Gilmour's real estate agency's name, collecting $269,000 in commissions. He plans to plead not guilty.
He is due to face a County Court directions hearing on November 2 on 10 fraud-related charges, three weeks before the November 24 state election in which he plans to recontest his safe seat.
"Most people understand this coincidence of it rolling out in an election year is not such a coincidence, but these things happen," McCurdy said outside court.
"There will be certain people trying to put (voters) off, but I have faith in the people of the Ovens Valley that understand the situation as it stands at the moment and we now get an opportunity to have my say a bit further down the track."
Prosecutors argue McCurdy wrongly used Mr Gilmour's agency letterheads during the sales without his knowledge or permission.
But McCurdy's lawyers told the court Mr Gilmour had to authorise payment of the property sale commission and his agency knowingly transferred the cash to the defendant.
In the witness box Mr Gilmour at times contradicted evidence from his former receptionist and admitting knowledge of the sales in 2009.
Mr Gilmour first took his complaint to Consumer Affairs Victoria in 2014. It was referred to police and almost four years later, charges were laid.
The court was told the men were neighbours and worked together on-and-off for several years, and were colleagues when one of the farms went up for sale in 2008.
Mr Gilmour ran an auction for the property as McCurdy was unlicensed to do so, but it did not result in a sale.
A short time later their employer, PGG Wrightson, closed its Australian operations, selling two offices to Mr Gilmour, who subsequently opened Gilmour and Company in 2009 while McCurdy worked for another firm.
Mr Gilmour's former receptionist Kally Morey on Wednesday told the court McCurdy asked for a letterhead during one of his regular visits to the office and she handed it over.
But on Thursday, Mr Gilmour said McCurdy was never in the office.
The parties reached an undisclosed civil settlement in 2014.
McCurdy holds his safe regional seat with a 16.6 per cent margin.
The Nationals say he will continue to work hard for constituents until the matter is resolved.
"Advice from Tim's legal representation before this week's committal hearing was that charges of this nature would usually proceed to trial, and that is the outcome Tim had expected," the party said in a statement after the court decision.
Australian Associated Press
