The ACCC’s investigatory techniques have come under fire during a hearing over an alleged criminal cartel agreement between ANZ and two investment banks, with a barrister for one of the banks suggesting investigators from the regulator deliberately did not take notes during hundreds of days of witness interviews to avoid disclosure.
ASIC has called for a $15 million penalty against National Australia Bank over its scandal-ridden ‘Introducer’ loan referral program, but a judge has questioned the “superficial” investigations in the case and remarked on the corporate regulator’s “pattern” of bringing enforcement action after remediation programs were well underway.
Despite receiving immunity in a criminal cartel case against ANZ and two other investment banks, JPMorgan has disputed the existence of any cartel agreement since the early days of the ACCC’s investigations, a court has heard.
Australia’s corporate watchdog has lost its bid to obtain Ashurst’s advice to Australia and New Zealand Banking Group about potentially illegal bank fees “for now”, but a judge has signalled that this may not be the end of the matter.
ASIC has launched court proceedings against Melbourne-based foreign exchange and derivative trader Forex CT alleging it engaged in unconscionable sales tactics that led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in investor losses.
Queensland politician and mining magnate Clive Palmer has been hit with criminal charges for allegedly using his position as director of Minerology to allow $12 million in transfers for unauthorised purposes, including to support his party’s political ambitions.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has succeeded in its case against Kogan, with a judge finding statements the online retailer made during a 2018 promotion were misleading and drew consumers into the company’s “marketing web”.
Westpac has been hit with a class action over a “shonky” car loan scheme, in what is the first class to be filed in Victoria Supreme Court following passage of a state law allowing lawyers to earn contingency fees.
A judge has ordered private health insurer Medibank to pay $5 million in penalties for rejecting the claims of hundreds of members who were entitled to coverage for critical medical procedures, including spinal surgery.
Elderly victims of Ponzi schemer Bradley Sherwin have told the government’s class action inquiry of their “horrendous class action journey”, which led to a “pathetic outcome” in which the majority of a $12 million settlement with the Bank of Queensland went to the law firm and funder behind the case.