Former Liberal National Party candidate for Lilley Vivian Lobo charged by federal police in Brisbane
A former Liberal National Party candidate has been accused of lying about where he lived during the 2022 federal election campaign.
Vivian Lobo, 47, was summoned to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, charged with four counts of knowingly giving false or misleading information.
The charges relate to Lobo, who was drafted at the last minute as a candidate for the marginal seat of Lilley in Brisbane’s north when army veteran Ryan Shaw withdrew for personal reasons, stating his address was in the electoral suburb of Everton Park .
He was recently summoned to court as a result of a 20-month investigation launched following a referral from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
“The referral concerns the man who allegedly provided false or misleading information to the AEC relating to the home address of himself and his family members,” an Australian Federal Police statement said.
The maximum penalty for this crime is twelve months in prison.
Vivian Lobo, 47, has been accused of giving election authorities the wrong home address when he stood as a candidate for the LNP in the last Queensland election
The Australian found the nominee’s home in Everton Park abandoned and dilapidated during the 2022 election, while Mr Lobo was photographed leaving an address in the upscale suburb of Windsor, 23 minutes away in a neighboring electorate.
The house listed at Lobo’s address contained no furniture and other than the lawn being mowed, there was no other sign that it was occupied during the May 2022 election.
When contacted at the time about the apparent discrepancy, Lobo claimed he had signed a lease on the Everton Park property and was planning to move in.
“However, due to my campaign commitments and the difficulty of getting traders home, I was delayed in moving,” he said.
Property records show Lobo bought the Windsor property in 2017 for $726,000, located in the neighboring electorate of LNP MP Trevor Evans
At the time, the AEC said it had referred the matter to the AFP.
“There are concerns as to whether the information he provides regarding his residential address on these forms is false,” the commission said.
Lobo said he would cooperate with the investigation.
While it is not illegal to live outside the nominated electorate you represent, providing false information to the AEC could constitute election fraud.
Mr Lobo (pictured with his partner) said he had not yet moved to the address due to election campaign commitments
If Lobo is found guilty of misleading the AEC, he faces a prison sentence of up to 12 months.
His bid to unseat Labour’s Anika Wells failed when she went from a winning margin of just 0.6 per cent to a safe seat with a 10.5 per cent buffer.
The seat of Lilley was previously held by former treasurer Wayne Swan from the 1990s until his retirement in 2019.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Lobo for comment.