Mr Peter Mavridis, of Bentleigh, Victoria, has appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates Court after an ASIC investigation led to him being charged with 24 charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception, 10 charges of false accounting and 1 charge of dishonest use of position as a director.
ASIC's investigation followed the collapse of the S Central Group of companies, which provided information technology services to customers in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
ASIC alleges that Mr Mavridis, 42, who was the chief executive officer of the S Central Group, either directly or through his financial controller, submitted duplicated and falsely inflated invoices to National Australia Bank (NAB) in order to secure credit in excess of $3 million for companies within the group.
ASIC also alleges that Mr Mavridis falsified other documents that were required by NAB in support of the false invoices that were submitted.
Mr Mavridis has also been charged with dishonestly using his position as a director by allegedly using $20,000, held on trust for the NAB, to clear a personal credit card debt.
ASIC alleges the offences took place between January and October 2009. The S Central Group ceased trading in October 2009, with liquidators appointed to various companies within the group.
The matter was adjourned until 10 June 2014.
The matter is being prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
Background
For the charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception under section 82(1) Crimes Act 1958 (Vic), the maximum penalty is 10 years imprisonment.
For the charges of false accounting under section 83(1)(b) of the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic), the maximum penalty is 10 years imprisonment.
For the charge of dishonestly using his position as a director under section 184 of the Corporations Act 2001, the maximum penalty is $220,000 or 5 years imprisonment; or both.
Editor's note 1:
On 10 June 2014 the matter was adjourned until 24 June 2014.
Editor's note 2:
This matter was mentioned on 24 June 2014. The matter was set down for committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 11 August 2014.