The Federal Court has issued a worldwide freezing order over the assets of Bill Papas’ partner, which includes the proceeds of the $1.13 million sale of her home in Sydney’s inner west.
Forum Finance director Bill Papas’ cousin has hit back at Westpac’s allegations he wrongfully received $720,000 from the alleged fraudster in violation of freezing orders made in the bank’s lawsuit, which seeks to recoup $294 million paid into an alleged fraudulent scheme.
Forum Group’s liquidators are seeking to wind up an entity owned by founder Bill Papas that received over $2.6 in “loans” from the alleged fraudster, as they work to recoup almost $400 million allegedly defrauded from three banks.
The former chief financial officer of beleaguered Forum Group has been dragged into a lawsuit by Westpac seeking to recoup $294 million in funds paid into an alleged fraudulent scheme.
Collapsed NSW training company Australian Institute of Professional Education has been slugged with a $153 million penalty, the highest ever fine in a consumer law case, after the Federal Court found the school targeted vulnerable students through an “unconscionable” enrolment system.
Forum Finance director Vincenzo Tesoriero wants to strike out Westpac’s claims against him and has told a court he too is a victim of alleged fraudster Bill Papas, having sunk up to $9 million in the company.
The Federal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Forum Finance founder Bill Papas for contempt of court for allegedly transferring $720,000 out of one of his companies in breach of a freezing order.
Westpac will serve court documents, including a motion for contempt, on Forum founder Bill Papas by text message after securing a Greek mobile number for the absent accused fraudster, as the judge overseeing the bank’s case pulled up Papas’ former lawyer for treating his courtroom like a “suburban golf club”.
Westpac wants Forum Finance founder Bill Papas held in contempt of court, but the bank has hit a snag in serving its motion on the missing Papas, saying he dropped his lawyers without telling them the address of his current residence in Greece.
A Forum Finance director is unable to file a defence against Westpac’s $400 million fraud case because his former solicitor has refused to hand over case files to his new lawyers until he pays a “remarkable” $300,000 legal bill, a court has heard.