Taiwanese police investigating Adelaide mother Lisa Lines for suspected financial crimes on the run

The Adelaide mother at the centre of a series of bizarre alleged murder plots is now on an overseas police force’s radar, The Advertiser can reveal.

Adelaide mother Lisa Lines is being investigated by Taiwanese authorities for suspected financial crimes committed while on the run. NCA NewsWire/Kelly Barnes

An Adelaide mother extradited from a tiny Pacific island over an alleged murder plot is being investigated by Taiwanese authorities for financial crimes she is suspected of committing while on the run.

The Advertiser can reveal Lisa Lines, who was arrested in Palau on November 15 and charged with two counts each of attempted murder and conspiracy to murder, is at the centre of a Taiwanese investigation into her activities since fleeing Australia.

Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau Investigator Jimmy Tan said Taiwanese police began investigating Ms Lines after SA Police informed them of their own investigation into the alleged murder plot.

“SAPOL notified us of the (attempted) murder case and we started looking into everything about her and then we found out something fishy about the financial stuff so then we began a separate investigation,” Mr Tan said.

Mr Tan said the investigation was launched about a month ago.

Adelaide mother Lisa Lines is at the centre of a Taiwanese police investigation into suspected financial crimes she committed while on the run. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Kelly Barnes

“It might be a long one because we need all the records we can get and getting these records can take time,” he said.

As part of the investigation, Taiwanese police will comb through Ms Lines’ Taiwanese bank and income records.

SA Police alleged Ms Lines, 43, attempted to murder her former partner Jonathon Hawtin in the Adelaide Hills in 2019 and plotted to kill him and his mother Rohnda Hawtin.

She was extradited from Palau on November 23 before arriving in Adelaide the next day.

Some of the charges relate to an incident at Littlehampton in October 2017, during which Ms Lines, along with her then-lover and co-accused Zacharia Bruckner, 36, allegedly attempted to murder Mr Hawtin, 36, in a brutal axe attack.

Mr Bruckner was shot and Mr Hawtin, who was left a tetraplegic as a result of his injuries, was charged with attempted murder before being acquitted at trial in 2019.

The case was reopened after crime scene evidence was re-examined and police came to believe Mr Hawtin was the victim.

Mr Tan said evidence seized from Ms Lines’ Taipei home and workplace would form a key part of any police brief of evidence if she is ultimately charged.

Mr Bruckner was arrested on November 15 in Brisbane and charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of conspiracy to murder before being extradited to Adelaide.

It is further alleged a second attempt was made on Mr Hawtin’s life while he lay paralysed in the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre.

Major Crime Investigation Branch detectives attached to Operation Fabula on Friday arrested Everard Park woman Letiticia Fortune, 34, and charged her with attempted murder over the incident.

During a bail application on Monday, Director of Public Prosecutions Martin Hinton KC said

Ms Fortune, understood to be an ex-lover of Ms Lines, allegedly tried to smother Mr Hawtin at the facility on New Year’s Day in 2018.

Mr Hinton said Ms Lines had also conspired with Mr Bruckner to secure the services of a hit man to “finish the job” – allegedly a plot to kill Mr Hawtin and his mother.

“Little did they know that the person with whom they were speaking, whose services they were attempting to enlist, was an undercover police officer,” he said.

Ms Lines had been travelling under the alias Scarlett Ellis Lee at the time of her arrest in Palau. Picture: Supplied

Mr Hawtin was initially charged with attempted murder before being acquitted at trial in 2019. Police now believe he was framed. Picture: AAP/Mark Brake

Ms Lines’ lawyer Craig Caldicott told the court his client denied the allegations and would be pleading not guilty.

Mr Caldicott denied Ms Lines had fled Australia and had instead travelled to Thailand but “simply did not return”.

Mr Tan, who is leading the Taiwanese investigation overseen by the Taiwan Tapei District Prosecutors Office, would not detail the crimes Ms Lines was suspected of committing in Taiwan, but it is understood evidence seized from her workplace and home in Tapei will form a key part of any police evidence brief.

Zacharia Brucker has been charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of conspiracy to murder. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Kelly Barnes

“I can’t really talk about anything other than (to say) financials,” Mr Tan said.

“I can’t really talk about what we found.”

Mr Tan said if Ms Lines, who was arrested travelling under the alias Scarlett Ellis Lee, was charged, Taiwanese and Australian authorities could exchange evidence to assist with her prosecution.

He said Taiwanese authorities had tracked Lines for a month before orchestrating her arrest in Palau, where she had gone to apply for an extension of her Taiwan visa as she had to leave the country to do so.

“We started putting surveillance on her since we became aware of this case, which gave us an idea of her whereabouts,” Mr Tan said.

“After a series of intelligence exchanges, we became aware of her plan to leave Taiwan for Palau.

“Once we became aware of her plan to leave for Palau, we notified SAPOL and AFP so that they could contact Palauan authorities to make the arrest.

“Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau and National Immigration Agency surveilled and made sure she got on the plane for Palau.

“After the arrest was made, the investigators escorted her back to Australia via Taiwan to face justice.”

Ms Lines and Mr Bruckner have been remanded in custody until next May, when they will face a charge determination hearing, while Ms Fortune will reappear next week for a continuing bail application.