An appeals court has found insurers AIG Australia and Catlin Australia have to cover part of a $6 million settlement agreed to by Bank of Queensland last year in a class action brought by investors in a multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme by jailed fraudster Bradley Sherwin.
Lawyers for IOOF chief financial officer David Coulter have dismissed APRA’s allegations that he breached his superannuation duties as commercially “naïve”, “absolutely desperate” and a “most egregious example” of impulsive regulatory enforcement action.
The former directors of troubled fund manager IOOF have slammed APRA for bringing a “truly hopeless” disqualification case against them, telling a court the prudential regulator’s “Stalinist” approach was deterring “good people and good companies” from participating in the superannuation industry.
APRA has been accused of harbouring an “unhinged hatred” for former IOOF managing director Chris Kelaher by his counsel, who was objecting to internal APRA documents he claims were disparaging of the wealth management company and its executives.
The prudential regulator has opened the first day of its case against IOOF directors and entities by claiming the wealth manager’s liability is “plain as a pike staff”, as IOOF contends the regulator’s case is “artificial and theoretical” and “overly simplistic”.
Former executives of wealth manager IOOF facing disqualification proceedings by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority have criticised the prudential regulator for a late and extensive discovery request, saying it could “imperil” the July trial date.
Former IOOF chairman George Venardos will be allowed to object to incriminating evidence and discovery in proceedings brought by APRA, after a court found there was a real and appreciable risk that ASIC could also bring a civil case against him.
Engineering firm Jacobs E&C, which was acquired by WorleyParsons last year, has said it will resist an arbitration judgment of around $132 million handed down against it in March to the operator of a Vietnamese mine.
APRA has been ordered to hand over all of its correspondence with fellow regulator ASIC relating to former IOOF chairman George Venardos, as he prepares to argue privilege over discovery that might incriminate him in any possible ASIC proceedings.
The Bank of Queensland has criticised a judgment which found the bank’s insurance policy left it on the hook for a $6 million settlement of a class action brought by investors in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme by jailed fraudster Bradley Sherwin.