by Chris Griffith
Published 9 January 1994 in The Sun-Herald
The former Queensland state manager of The Bank of Melbourne, Byron Lye, 49, of Strathpine, is one of three former bank employees facing committal proceedings after a lengthy investigation by the State's major crimes squad.
The other employees are two former commercial lending officers -- Mary Patrick Hill, 39, of Ashgrove, and Nicholas Kolatsis, 33 , of Coorparoo.
It is alleged the three misappropriated $959,810 between January 1, 1992, and March 1, 1992.
They are due to face committal proceedings in the Brisbane Magistrates' Court on January 19.
Lye had a noteworthy career in banking spanning 29 years.
In the 1980s he worked for the Commonwealth Bank as manager of its Queens Street branch and in 1987 was appointed Queensland manager of retail operations of National Mutual Royal, a joint venture between National Mutual and the Royal Bank of Canada. It was later acquired by the ANZ.
In 1990 Lye became Queensland manager of the Bank of Melbourne until February 1992, when he left the industry.
He is currently a real estate salesman.
Lye also has a long history of community involvement.
For 24 years he has been parish treasurer of the Catholic Church in St John's Wood, and for two years was director of the Board of Centre Care, the counselling service of the Catholic Church.