Gold Coast accountant charged as money laundering inquiry deepens
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Version 0 of 1. A Gold Coast accountant has been charged with laundering money from an alleged boiler room investment fraud. The Broadbeach Waters man, 43, who is accused of funnelling nearly $200,000 from a cold-calling scam through shelf companies, was charged on Friday as part of a crime and corruption commission investigation targeting a former fraud squad detective. The CCC said it would allege the accountant took a share of profits from the scam in return for transferring money to the accounts of shelf companies owned by 67-year-old man, who withdrew the cash and returned it to the accountant. The 67-year-old, of Southport, who has also been charged with money laundering, issued invoices to the accountant for “services that were never provided”, the CCC said. It said the accountant paid the invoices from the accounts of the company Lay Trading Solutions, which it alleged was “engaged in boiler room investment frauds”. Related: 'The Irish boys' alleged Queensland scam gang 'pocket $4m from victims' “It is alleged that the money was then processed through the accounts of the shelf companies, before being withdrawn in cash and returned to the 43-year-old man,” the CCC said. “Both men allegedly received a share of the profits for laundering the money.” The charges were part of Operation Lima Violin II, which the CCC launched a year ago to investigate links to cold call investment scams, including horse-racing betting software, and the activities of a former Gold Coast detective turned private investigator. Both men charged on Friday were due to appear in Southport magistrates court on one count each of money laundering on 24 September. |