First, the intriguing story of Rajina Subramaniam – the biggest con-woman this country has ever seen. The timid Sydney accountant stole more than $45 million from one of the country’s largest corporations. Then she went on a spectacular spending spree. And, all the while, she was involved in a bizarre love triangle … right under the noses of unsuspecting workmates.
When the 42-year-old left her nondescript office in the ING building on Kent Street and walked into Paspaley - or any of the dozen other luxury stores she frequented during her lunch breaks - she stopped being a troubled accountant from Castle Hill and became a shining star.
The shop assistants - most of them on commission - welcomed her as a treasured friend, ushering her into private viewing rooms with a glass of champagne to see the latest, most expensive items in stock.
Invariably she walked out with something most could save for a lifetime and never afford.
In the end Subramaniam's haul included 600 jewellery items, 200 Chanel products including perfume and make-up, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Michael Jackson memorabilia and vintage champagne.
There was also $18 million worth of prestige properties in Bondi Beach, Kirribilli and the CBD. But the boxes of jewels were never opened. The apartments went unused.
Rajina Subramaniam's crime - the largest case of fraud by a woman in Australia's history - was not driven by greed, but by a desire for human kindness, empowerment and revenge.
Judge Finnane found Subramaniam abused her position as a trusted accountant to undertake the crime. But the method she used was not particularly sophisticated, relying on either the transfer of funds into accounts under her maiden name or directly into the accounts of the shops she wished to purchase from.
ING only became aware of the scam when Paspaley Pearls rang up to check that it had authorised the payment of $2.5 million for a diamond auction.
While an ING spokeswoman said the company was ''satisfied with its current security measures'', some have questioned the effectiveness of its internal auditing processes.
Regardless, the company has taken a significant financial hit as a result of the crime.
Virtually all of the goods and property purchased have been recovered and resold, but sales data obtained by the Herald shows that, in the case of the apartments in Kirribilli and Bondi Beach, ING was forced to sell for much less than their former accountant paid.
The biggest case of fraud by a woman in Australia's history may be finished in a legal sense but the financial ramifications will be felt for some time.
Um Ah. Someone in Senior Accounting Management was asleep at the wheel there, or had other reasons for looking the other way.
