Residents of the Riverina town of Junee have been stunned as their local watering hole is investigated for systemic fraud said to involve significant sums of money.
Junee is home to around 5k people, found roughly 400 kilometres south-west of Sydney. Occupying a prominent main street corner, the Commercial Hotel was built in 1884 and holds a reputation as the town’s favourite family-friendly venue.
The Commercial is owned by the Oates family, based locally and operating several venues in the area, such as the Riverina Hotel in Holbrook and Romano’s Hotel in Wagga, acquired mid-2021.
According to the Junee Bulletin, sources familiar with the matter say troubling financial discrepancies were recently found in the business, believed to involve a “substantial sum” and having taken place over an extended period of time.
The account augers with recent job ads appealing for a new venue manager and other staff.
Last week a NSW Police spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Junee police have launched an investigation, although they did not publicly name which venue was involved.
The investigation continues, but as yet no arrests or charges have been announced.
Staff from other Oakes family pubs have been covering operations at the Commercial during the disruption.
PubTIC was unable to get comment from the Oakes family prior to publication.
