Investors considering legal action against Ussi Moniz Da Silva as debts revealed

Sources say investors are planning to take legal action against a flashy Sydney restaurateur who allegedly owes them up to $2m dollars, amid claims he owes staff, landlords and suppliers.

Investors are understood to be owed up to $2 million by a “slick-talking” Sydney restaurateur, after he shut down his high-end venues and disappeared amid claims that staff, suppliers and landlords are owed money.

Ussi Moniz Da Silva’s hot spots, including Maali nightclub in Potts Point, Eros restaurant next door, Sinaloa in Double Bay and Kings Cross Pavilion closed suddenly in February.

He has not been seen or heard from since by staff and investors who are chasing him for allegedly unpaid wages and debts.

Sources close to the business say investors are considering legal action against Moniz Da Silva — including action for personal bankruptcy – claiming they are owed up to $2 million dollars in unpaid loans.

It’s believed he’s left Australia.

Investors are chasing bar owner and restaurateur Ussi Da Silva Moniz.

One source said Moniz Da Silva was a “slick” talker, and explained away concerns raised over his failed former hospitality ventures like Meu Jardim and Upper East Side.

“He was very articulate and presented very well,” the source said.

Eros bar and restaurant in Potts Point recently closed.

Sinaloa bar and restaurant in Double Bay also closed.

Multiple former staff also claimed Moniz Da Silva did not always pay employee tax or superannuation — a problem he had consistently been made aware of as his debt grew.

The source claimed investors raised concerns with him about cashflow — and he then asked for further money to invest in the business.

In correspondence seen by The Sunday Telegraph, it’s understood Moniz Da Silva owed more than $400,000 in unpaid rent to the landlords of his Double Bay bar Sinaloa.

Savills Asset Management was forced to chain the door shut.

After allegations Moniz Da Silva told staff to jump the back fence and open the doors to Sinaloa anyway, Savills was forced to put a sign in the window warning they would prosecute if he trespassed. Savills declined to comment.

While Moniz Da Silva blamed a “downturn in trade” for delays and non-payment of staff wages, the source said business had been steady.

He flaunted a lavish life, filled with designer gear and overseas trips, and sources close to him said he was more concerned with the social side of his business than its operation.

“He was never present as a leader in the business, he was too busy drinking the spirit of the day with his questionable mates,” the source said.

“He was told he couldn’t be seen like that.”

In the month before he disappeared, as staff raised concerns over underpayment and unpaid wages, Moniz Da Silva moved into a luxury home at Clear Island Waters on the Gold Coast. It’s understood he was paying $2800 a week rent.

The source said: “People from all walks of life, cleaners, electricians, security guards, staff and investors … have been burnt by him in different ways.”

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