AN IRISH COUPLE living in Australia are facing criminal proceedings over the alleged misappropriation of charity funds.

Patrick Kelleher, originally from Rathmore in Co Kerry, and his wife Lisa, whose Instagram bio says she’s “Irish-born, living in Oz”, are among three members of Ace Competitions Ltd facing prosecution.

Kelleher and his co-director of the company James Keogh, as well as manager Lisa Kelleher, are accused of converting charitable funds raised by selling online raffles for personal use.

The funds were raised for the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation.

These raffles offered prizes that were “primarily exotic, luxury or high-performance vehicles”, NSW Fair Trading, the consumer protection regulator in New South Wales, said in an online statement.

These raffles were mainly hosted on the company’s social media accounts, which boasted thousands of followers. The accounts have now been taken down.

Keogh is facing three charges of converting to his own use money raised by means of a gaming activity relating to the sum of $120,000 (€71,995). Patrick Kelleher is facing one charge relating to the sum of $50,000 (€29,999), and Lisa Kelleher is facing one charge relating to the sum of $17,500 (€10,499).

If found guilty under section 14 of the Community Gaming Act 2018, the maximum penalty that can be imposed in the Local Court is imprisonment for two years or 100 penalty units, or both, the regulator said.

Australian paper The Daily Telegraph reports that the Kellehers and Keogh call the city’s eastern suburbs home after moving from Ireland.