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Another new article here .... A small part below...
Melissa Caddick took $260,000 from parents for safekeeping, court told (smh.com.au)
Conwoman Melissa Caddick received more than $1.3 million from her elderly parents, including about $260,000 that they handed over for safekeeping to cover some of their future expenses, the Federal Court has heard.
Appearing remotely in the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday, barrister Sera Mirzabegian, acting for the Grimleys, said her clients were faced with the prospect of moving from the Edgecliff home, where they have lived since March 2017, “in circumstances where they are also grieving the loss of their daughter”.
“Like the investors, they too gave money to Ms Caddick and there is no suggestion whatsoever that they were involved in any of the activity that Ms Caddick was involved in,” Ms Mirzabegian said.
She said the Grimleys were also seeking to make a claim relating to about $260,000 in “safekeeping money” that was “provided by my clients to Ms Caddick and Maliver to hold on their behalf for the purpose of her distributing that money to them in smaller payments for living expenses”.
Ms Mirzabegian said ASIC was seeking to appoint receivers who would be permitted to sell Ms Caddick’s property for the benefit of investors, but there had been no consideration of how the Grimleys’ interests intersected with the interests of investors.
She said Justice Brigitte Markovic, who is presiding over the proceedings, could not be confident that only investor funds were used by Ms Caddick for her personal expenses when there was other money available to her including a “substantial” sum from her clients.
She also raised concerns the receiver would also be allowed to sell property that had not been bought with investor funds, such as jewellery the Grimleys had given their daughter as a gift.
But Farid Assaf, SC, for ASIC, said “we are not seeking to shut anyone out from their rights at all” and the parents’ interests could be protected.
He said this was a “clear case of fraud”, “a coronial inquest is not exactly quick”, and investors were “in a grey area” unless the court took action now to allow them to recover “at least part” of their investments.
“It is in the court’s power to take the first steps to appoint the receivers to unravel that fraud,” he said.
Mr Assaf said Ms Caddick’s company was insolvent and had “virtually no assets apart from some motor vehicles”.
If ASIC’s preferred course was not successful, he predicted a “flurry of litigation” against Ms Caddick’s estate by investors.
BBM
Melissa Caddick took $260,000 from parents for safekeeping, court told (smh.com.au)
Conwoman Melissa Caddick received more than $1.3 million from her elderly parents, including about $260,000 that they handed over for safekeeping to cover some of their future expenses, the Federal Court has heard.
Appearing remotely in the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday, barrister Sera Mirzabegian, acting for the Grimleys, said her clients were faced with the prospect of moving from the Edgecliff home, where they have lived since March 2017, “in circumstances where they are also grieving the loss of their daughter”.
“Like the investors, they too gave money to Ms Caddick and there is no suggestion whatsoever that they were involved in any of the activity that Ms Caddick was involved in,” Ms Mirzabegian said.
She said the Grimleys were also seeking to make a claim relating to about $260,000 in “safekeeping money” that was “provided by my clients to Ms Caddick and Maliver to hold on their behalf for the purpose of her distributing that money to them in smaller payments for living expenses”.
Ms Mirzabegian said ASIC was seeking to appoint receivers who would be permitted to sell Ms Caddick’s property for the benefit of investors, but there had been no consideration of how the Grimleys’ interests intersected with the interests of investors.
She said Justice Brigitte Markovic, who is presiding over the proceedings, could not be confident that only investor funds were used by Ms Caddick for her personal expenses when there was other money available to her including a “substantial” sum from her clients.
She also raised concerns the receiver would also be allowed to sell property that had not been bought with investor funds, such as jewellery the Grimleys had given their daughter as a gift.
But Farid Assaf, SC, for ASIC, said “we are not seeking to shut anyone out from their rights at all” and the parents’ interests could be protected.
He said this was a “clear case of fraud”, “a coronial inquest is not exactly quick”, and investors were “in a grey area” unless the court took action now to allow them to recover “at least part” of their investments.
“It is in the court’s power to take the first steps to appoint the receivers to unravel that fraud,” he said.
Mr Assaf said Ms Caddick’s company was insolvent and had “virtually no assets apart from some motor vehicles”.
If ASIC’s preferred course was not successful, he predicted a “flurry of litigation” against Ms Caddick’s estate by investors.
BBM