GOONDIWINDI based Woods Grains director, Thomas Dudley Woods, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail, to be suspended after six months, for his part in concealing the falsification of certificates regarding the fumigation of chickpeas exported to India.
Woods Grain Pty Ltd was also fined $680,000 when the sentence was handed down in the Brisbane District Court today.
Both Woods and the company had pleaded guilty to a number of offences arising from the shipment of 68 consignments of chickpeas that didn't meet India's fumigation requirements.
The court heard the grain was treated with phosphine, not the mandatory methyl bromide, and that fumigation certificates were faked to mislead Commonwealth officials between 2007 and 2009.
Judge Brendan Butler recognised that the scheme was initiated by someone other than Mr Woods but that the director had later helped to conceal the crimes.
"Very likely it was to protect the company, the family and perhaps your brother in circumstances where the scheme had already commenced and you became aware of it," the judge said.