Developer that Paul Pisasale met involved in brutal corporate brawl

THE developer indirectly involved in ex-Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale’s $50K cash seizure has been involved in a brutal corporate brawl.

Barrister Sam Di Carlo says he asked former Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale to fly the $50,000 to Brisbane “as a friend”. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

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THE developer indirectly involved in former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale’s $50,000 cash seizure had been entangled in a brutal corporate brawl.

A complaint about an alleged company takeover led one adversary to take developer Chris Pinzone to court. But Mr Pinzone denied wrongdoing and alleged he had been defrauded by associates.

Melbourne-based Mr Pinzone, 35, met Mr Pisasale in a Melbourne hotel on May 12 this year. Mr Pinzone’s CJP Qld has been trying to turn a vacant $3 million site in Ipswich’s Yamanto into a complex with a service station, eateries and childcare centre.

During the meeting, another man arrived and handed $50,000 to Mr Pisasale, according to barrister Sam Di Carlo. Mr Di Carlo said he has worked for Mr Pinzone in the past but the $50,000 was a separate matter for a Chinese family’s legal settlement.

Barrister Sam Di Carlo says he asked former Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale to fly the $50,000 to Brisbane “as a friend”. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

The barrister said he had asked Mr Pisasale to fly the cash to Brisbane “as a friend”, and arranged for the money to be delivered to the hotel. But Australian Federal Police seized the 500 $100 notes at Melbourne airport from Mr Pisasale.

Company searches show Mr Pinzone’s interests stretch from property to eateries. His assets included two pizza shops and seven properties worth $5.2 million, he filed in a 2015 affidavit in the company dispute.

Mr Pinzone also stated in a defence filing that in 2011 he lent one business associate $30,000 for a 25-day loan, with a fee to be paid to Mr Pinzone of $3000. The money had allegedly not been repaid.

Those documents were filed in a Melbourne Supreme Court battle with former business associates about a Victorian commercial development.

A business partner had applied in 2014 under the Corporations Act for Mr Pinzone to be removed as director and shareholder of a company involved in the development. In a supporting affidavit, Mr Pinzone was accused not having authority to have filed regulatory documents making him director and shareholder in the first place.

Barrister Sam Di Carlo. Picture: Tara Croser

But Mr Pinzone, in a defence and counterclaim, maintained he had been authorised in an October 2014 deal to become director and shareholder. His counterclaim maintained he had lost money because business associates had breached that deal, and further alleged he had been defrauded — which the other side denied in a legal reply.

These fraud allegations included that a convicted criminal falsely calling himself a solicitor, and one of the business partner’s relations, who worked on the development, had mislead Mr Pinzone into supplying $500,000. Mr Pinzone said he sent through $500,000 — his aunt’s money — but a promised deal for rights to a property deal and Woolworths lease were never transferred.

A judge granted an interim order restoring the original director and shareholder. Both sides reached a settlement including the rivals not interfering with the Yamanto contract and Mr Pinzone not interfering with the Victorian deal, according to an associated court judgment.

— Additional reporting, Rebekah Cavanagh