Just broken by Stephen Drill in the Herald Sun:

Maryborough Harness Racing Club officials escape sanctions over secret cash

MARYBOROUGH Harness Racing Club officials Les Chapman and Peter Egan have escaped further sanctions for keeping almost $1 million in a secret account.

A Harness Racing Victoria integrity council hearing recommended to clear the pair this week.

Mr Egan, the club’s president, and Mr Chapman, the secretary, had failed to declare a bank account to Harness Racing Victoria for almost 30 years.

Harness Racing Victoria chair Dale Monteith said he would review the independent panel’s recommendation.

“Like any sporting organisation, we don’t believe it is acceptable for any administrator to deliberately falsify accounts and hide revenue to conceal an organisation’s true financial position. It is not acceptable in any form of business,” Mr Monteith said.

“The community has the right to expect the highest level of integrity from sporting administrators and for them to uphold the integrity of the sport they represent.”

Mr Chapman told the Herald Sun in August that the club was being penalised for protecting its members.

“The money was clean and it is owned by the Maryborough Harness Racing Club,” he said at the time.

“It’s very disappointing the board of Harness Racing Victoria has gone down this road.”

Each to there own opinion, but I see this as a positive story. What HRV would do with that money is anybody's guess. I am afraid, though, payback will come somewhere down the track. The Redwood meeting being moved to Melton, perhaps?