On 21 October 2024, the ex-CEO of ACCE Australia Pty Ltd (ACCE), Grant Colthup, appeared in the Magistrates Court at Ipswich charged with one count of fraud contrary to section 408C of the Criminal Code 1899 (QLD) following an ASIC investigation in connection with a $2.2 million cryptocurrency transaction in July 2022.

Between May 2019 and September 2022 ACCE operated a digital asset exchange platform and offered cryptocurrency trading services to customers under the name ‘Mine Digital’.

ASIC alleges that a customer of Mine Digital paid $2.2 million to ACCE for Bitcoin and never received any cryptocurrency in exchange. ASIC alleges that Colthup used the funds to pay liabilities of ACCE and/or purchase cryptocurrency for others.

The matter was adjourned to 16 December 2024.

The matter is being prosecuted by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (ODPP) following a referral from ASIC.

Background

On 23 September 2022 ACCE entered administration.

On 1 December 2022, Brad Tonks of PKF was appointed liquidator of ACCE.