Malcolm Frederick Stamp, who was the founding chief executive of Metro North Hospital and Health Service in Brisbane, has been charged by Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) after an investigation spanning more than five years.

Stamp, who remains in his native UK after leaving Australia in the wake of his suspension in 2014, has been forced to hire an Australian lawyer to represent him in proceedings now underway in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

It marks a steep fall from grace for the decorated Commander of the British Empire, who was honoured for his work in the UK’s National Health Service before taking the job in Queensland.

Metro North sacked Stamp in 2015.

The progress of the case to court, after the CCC issued a warrant for his arrest in February 2018, suggests Mr Stamp has agreed to return to Australia voluntarily, sparing authorities the expense of extraditing him.

It is unclear when Stamp will be able to front court in Australia because of coronavirus travel restrictions.

On March 20 this year, the CCC laid charges against Stamp over an alleged scheme to give his daughter, Katy Ann Stamp, a job via a taxpayer-funded contract, including a “secret commissions” offence.

In a statement to the ABC, the CCC confirmed it had “served a notice to appear in court on a 67-year-old man who currently resides in the United Kingdom”.

“It will be alleged the man corruptly arranged for a co-offender to hire his daughter and for the Metro North Hospital and Health Service to pay her wage to a company linked to a co-offender,” the CCC said.

“It will be further alleged the 67-year-old man and two co-offenders tried to cover this up by creating documents.”

Malcol Stamp’s house in the village of Roughton, in Norfolk in England’s east. (Supplied: The Eastern Daily Press)

Court papers state travel restrictions prevented Stamp from appearing before a Brisbane magistrate on April 1.

He was granted bail in his absence.

A Brisbane magistrate has ordered Stamp to keep living in his house in the quiet village of Roughton, in the English county of Norfolk.

Stamp must seek the “written consent” of the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions or the officer-in-charge of police prosecutions before changing his address, phone number or email address.

The court also ordered him to “retain an Australian solicitor at all times to appear on this matter”.

His Brisbane-based lawyer Dominic Brunello declined to tell the ABC when Stamp would return to Australia to front court.

Stamp is yet to enter a plea.

In documents filed with the court, the CCC alleges that between January and May 2014, Mr Stamp corruptly arranged the job for his daughter with Metro North contractor Daniel Thomas Williams from Health Procurement Partners.

The CCC further alleges that Mr Stamp then tried to cover it up by giving the Metro North board false documents.

Stamp is yet to enter a plea. (Queensland Health)

Court documents show the CCC has alleged Stamp intended to deceive the Metro North board during August and September 2014 by giving them documents containing “statements that were false in an important particular, namely the circumstances surrounding the employment of Katy Ann Stamp by Healthcare Procurement Partners”.

The CCC has alleged he intended to defraud the Metro North board by using “emails, a procurement chronology, investigation statements, agreement variations and letters which [he] knew to be false”.

Stamp is listed for a committal mention in the Magistrates Court on June 29.

A CCC spokesman told the ABC it was “aware the man will not appear at this hearing … due to current travel restrictions”.

“As this matter is before the courts, it is not appropriate for the CCC to comment further,” the spokesman said.

Asked whether he intended to fight to clear his name, Mr Stamp told the ABC from the UK that was “between me and my lawyer”.

He declined to confirm what arrangements he had agreed to around returning to Australia to face charges.

“I think that the CCC, Queensland police and the courts are fully aware of my intentions,” Stamp said.

ABC / Exclusive by Josh Robertson