ATO scam: Guns kept at Adam Cranston’s office found last year
EXCLUSIVE: Police interviewed Adam Cranston almost a year before he was busted as part of an alleged $165 million tax fraud syndicate after guns were discovered in his eastern suburbs office.
NSW
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POLICE interviewed Adam Cranston almost a year before he was busted as part of an alleged $165 million tax fraud syndicate after guns were discovered in his eastern suburbs office.
Staff in a Double Bay commercial building noticed at least four rifles lying on the floor of a neighbouring business in Cross St and called Rose Bay Police at 9.30am on June 3, 2016.
Cranston, whose racing car team was registered at the address, told officers he was a registered gun owner in the process of moving to an office in Bankstown. The Saturday Telegraph obtained pictures yesterday showing police at Cranston’s office.
No charges were laid and he was allowed to keep the guns until this week, when AFP officers seized them in 28 lightning raids across Sydney on Wednesday.
Cranston, the son of embattled Australian Taxation Office (ATO) deputy commissioner Michael Cranston, received another visit from AFP investigators at his Bondi bail address yesterday, as they successfully landed another of his co-accused before a magistrate.
Tech guru Simon Anquetil, 33, was arrested as he stepped off a plane at Sydney Airport on Thursday, accused of being a central architect of the conspiracy alongside Cranston.
He is the 10th person to be charged over what police claim is one of Australia’s biggest white-collar crimes.
He was on an international speaking tour when he heard police had allegedly blown open an audacious income tax fraud syndicate and wanted to speak to him. He faced Central Local Court yesterday on the same conspiracy to cause loss charge as his alleged co-conspirator Cranston.
Anquetil is a former boss of the company Plutus Payroll, through which police claim millions of dollars flowed from legitimate clients into illegitimate companies and eventually the pockets of syndicate operators.
Although he resigned as boss, Commonwealth prosecutors claim he “controlled and continued to manage the main Plutus company” while the scheme was operating.
In fact, it is understood Anquetil, tax lawyer Dev Menon and ex-sports commentator Jason Onley had the closest ties to Cranston and the inner workings of the alleged syndicate.
The court has been told the lucrative scheme involved skimming PAYG tax payments on their way to the ATO, keeping a percentage for syndicate operators. A prosecutor said Antequil had “knowledge of the percentages that were not paid”.
“Apparently you can earn up to $900 for referring contractors.”
He was listed to speak at Amsterdam’s TNW Conference this week before heading home and was often on social media talking about the need for economic policy changes.
“Based on what’s going on in the world around us, Australia is staring down the barrel of serious economic trouble. We need someone to give us a good shake and help us realise that the ‘good times’ are over,” Anquetil wrote.
He was also a key spruiker for Plutus Payroll, offering kickbacks for recruitment firms to get workers on their books.
“Do I have any recruiter friends? If yes — feel free to come along to drinks Thursday night at The Hilton … Apparently you can earn up to $900 for referring contractors,” he wrote on social media.
Model Erin Holland was used to entice people to another Plutus party at the Hilton but she has not been charged and she yesterday stressed she had no knowledge of the syndicate.
Holland was engaged by Plutus Payroll “to perform and host events curated by Plutus Payroll”, a statement from her management said.
“Erin attended events for a specific time period only. At no time did Erin Holland have any involvement in, or knowledge of, alleged misconduct or alleged criminal activity by any person associated with Plutus Payroll or its related businesses.”
Michael Cranston was also given a court attendance notice for allegedly abusing his power as a public official and Labor yesterday demanded the ATO ensure investigations such as the Panama Papers, to which Michael Cranston led the response in Australia, were not in jeopardy.
Michael Cranston’s 24-year-old daughter Lauren has also been connected with the massive fraud after an eight-month investigation.
But police said they do not believe he had any knowledge of the alleged conspiracy.
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