Geelong businessman prepares for legal fight against entrepreneur David Collard

A Geelong businessman allegedly owed more than $100,000 by embattled entrepreneur David Collard has promised to help others in the same situation. Find out more.

Founder of Australian company, Scale Facilitation, David Collard in the One World Trade Center office. Pic Abby Holden

A Geelong businessman allegedly owed more than $100,000 by embattled entrepreneur David Collard has spoken out.

Greg Lake, who last month launched legal action against Mr Collard’s Geelong-based SaniteX Global, told the Geelong Advertiser he wanted to see other impacted residents step forward with their stories.

The application to wind up the company lodged in the Supreme Court alleged Mr Collard’s company owed Mr Lake’s company $104,205 for commercial advisory services.

Scale Facilitation did not respond to requests for comment, but court documents have indicated Mr Collard’s company intends to defend the case, arguing the company is solvent and operational.

“The situation with Scale Facilitation and SaniteX Global has left a lot of Geelong organisations and individuals out of pocket,” Mr Lake said.

“I’m concerned the decisions of the directors are not good corporate or community behaviour … and should be held to account.”

Mr Lake said where affected Geelong organisations or residents couldn’t afford to put evidence in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, he was happy to consider covering legal costs.

“In short, it means they can explain under a legal process what they’re owed, how it’s impacted them and it can be made available to the Supreme Court as they make a decision about what to do,” he said.

Mr Lake said Geelong residents could make contact with Wightons Lawyers to find out more information.

Mr Collard has run a raft of companies under the Scale Facilitation investment umbrella since 2019, including the Geelong-based Recharge Industries and SaniteX Global.

The application to wind up SaniteX Global will be heard in the Supreme Court later this month.

A St Joseph’s College alum, Mr Collard’s legal troubles kicked off in late June when his company’s North Geelong headquarters were raided by the Australian Federal Police over allegations of tax fraud.

Scale Facilitation has denied all wrongdoing and previously told the Geelong Advertiser it was committed to co-operating with authorities.

The Geelong legal action comes days after US-based staff filed a class action over claims they hadn’t been paid in months, with some owed tens of thousands of dollars.

Nicholas Widmer, the lead plaintiff, said told the media that US-based staff “reached a collective breaking point”.

“I think the lack of accountability and abdication of leadership has been really shameful, and this gaslighting we’ve been through on not being paid has caused real suffering,” Mr Widmer said in an interview.

Originally published as Geelong businessman prepares for legal fight against entrepreneur David Collard