A former Victorian senior public servant has been sentenced to eight years' jail for a scam involving over $15 million of taxpayers' money.

Former Department of Transport executive Albert Ooi was at the centre of a sophisticated scam that awarded transport contracts to companies that he had set up or controlled.

The 66-year-old was found to have pocketed $2.3 million from the scheme between 2007 and 2014, and received about $7,000 in outdoor furniture as a secret commission for a tender to supply bus shelters.

“Your offending was well orchestrated, devious and sustained,” Supreme Court of Victoria Justice John Dixon told Mr Ooi.

“It became more sophisticated over time, for example, the later use of supposedly independent tender assessment processes that you controlled, allowing a double payment — first a financial reward for consulting on the tender process followed by the profits from the valuable contracts that were awarded to managed entities.”

Ooi pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the State of Victoria and receiving a secret commission, while his stepson Michael De La Tore has already received a three-year community corrections ruling over his role.

Another co-accused has pleaded not guilty and will face trial in July.

Mr Ooi has allegedly agreed to give evidence against them, in exchange for a lesser sentence.

Justice Dixon said the loss to the state was enormous.

“Although your offending conduct meant the process for awarding government works contracts was uncompetitive, it cannot be established that the Government paid higher prices for the relevant works to the various entities and sub-contractors than it otherwise would have paid,” he said.

Ooi has been ordered to repay the $2.3 million and is set to spend a minimum of six years in jail.