Jailed ex-MP Troy Bell admits to falsely claiming $21,000 in parliamentary
Troy Bell, jailed for stealing $435,000 in public money, pleaded guilty to 15 deception charges.
Bell appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty to claiming more than $34,000 between 2015 and 2020.
He deceived parliamentary staff who approved the country members allowance. The allowance is paid to rural MPs when they stay in Adelaide for parliament.
Bell pleaded guilty to 15 of the 52 charges, totalling $21,177, with the remaining charges dropped. In September 2024 a jury found him guilty of stealing $435,000 meant for disadvantaged school students.
He spent the money on home renovations and credit card debts. He was sentenced to five years' jail in October 2025 for that crime.
The court will hear sentencing submissions on the new deception charges on 11 December.
- $21,177
- Amount falsely claimed
- 2015 to 2020
- Years of false claims
- 15 of 52
- Charges pleaded guilty to
- 5 years (October 2025)
- Previous theft sentence
Why it mattersFurther convictions add to the scale of public money misuse by an elected official trusted with public funds.
AustraliaAdds another layer to an Australian political corruption case; South Australians now see the extent of fund misuse by their former elected representative.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
