Asiafest director Greg Evangelou sells company to father and drugs-charged man

THE director of Asiafest has sold his events company to a firm owned by his father and a man due to face criminal charges over the seizure of drugs worth between $3 million and $9 million later this month.

AsiaFest

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THE director of Asiafest has sold his events company to a firm owned by his father and a man due to face criminal charges over the seizure of drugs worth between $3 million and $9 million later this month.

This is despite the company, Budget Party Hire operating under the business name White Marquee Event Hire, being placed in liquidation last year with debts of $1.4 million.

Asiafest’s debt are estimated at $500,000-$700,000.

Greg Evangelou, director of both failed companies, said the “brand name (trading name) of “White Marquee Event Hire was sold” and new investors brought in to try to save people’s jobs.

“White Marquee is still operating but has been sold to minimise the effect on employees who will continue their jobs and retain their superannuation and leave entitlements under the new owners,’’ Mr Evangelou told The Advertiser in an email.

“I have spent the last four months trying to find a buyer who would guarantee to keep the employees on their books. I am assisting the new owners and the liquidator with all the records relating to employees, the company and the business.’’

White Marquee Event Hire is not a company, but is a business name, registered by Budget Party Hire.

Amir Sabit Rugehazi’s Lamborghini was seized by police pending his drug charges. Source: AFP

Mr Evangelou did not initially divulge that one of the new owners was his father, Nicholas, and that the business which bought the brand name, Adelaide Event Group, was only set up in October last year, just three weeks after the ill-fated Asiafest event.

Mr Evangelou said Sultan Ruzehaji was the other new investor, but Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents show that while Sultan is a director, Amir Sabit Ruzehaji is the sole shareholder of Habiba Group — half owner of Adelaide Event Group. Mr Evangelou’s father is the other half-owner. Mr Evangelou later said Sultan said Amir had “nothing to do with Adelaide Event Group”.

Amir Sabit Ruzehaji is facing criminal drug charges scheduled to go back before the District Court on February 23.

Mr Ruzehaji was charged in 2012 with:

Trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, namely methamphetamine

Trafficking in a marketable quantity of a controlled drug, namely cocaine

Pre-trafficking a commercial quantity of a controlled precursor, namely pseudoephedrine

Possessing a prescribed quantity of a controlled precursor, namely iodine

Dealing in the proceeds of crime.

Police allege Mr Ruzehaji and another man were found in possession of 1kg of cocaine and nearly 900gm of methamphetamine.

Assets owned by Mr Ruzehaji and the other man arrested at the time, including four houses, nine motor vehicles including a Lamborghini Gallardo sports car, and three bank accounts and the funds in them, were seized in 2012.

Mr Ruzehaji reportedly failed in his bid to have the Lamborghini returned to him in early 2014.

It is understood the AFP still holds the Lamborghini and other assets.

District Court records show the matter was listed for a 20-day trial in October 2015, but it is now again listed for a three-hour hearing in the District Court later this month.

Mr Ruzehaji has in the past made an application for a permanent stay of those proceedings. The charges carry maximum sentences ranging from 15 years to life in prison.

Mr Evangelou said he would work with the new owners for up to three months to help them manage the business.

Asiafest was placed in liquidation last week with numerous artists and food suppliers claiming they were not paid.

The event, which started in 2014, was last year expanded to a 10-day festival held in October including the controversial “Full Moon Party” held in Rymill Park.

White Marquee is a minor sponsor of Port Adelaide Football Club and also provides products for substantial Adelaide events.

A spokesman for Budget Party Hire said he believed the company had paid all of its debts. This does not accord with ASIC records.