NSW Police question accused fraudster Melissa Caddick’s friends and family

Detectives are interviewing alleged fraudster Melissa Caddick’s inner circle in a bid to build a profile of her mindset and unearth clues about her business dealings.

Melissa Caddick’s relationships with friends and family are being probed in order to build a profile of the swindler’s mindset and unearth possible clues about her business dealings.

Detectives are interviewing members of the financial adviser’s inner circle at the time ASIC and the Federal Police raided her Dover Heights mansion on November 11. She went missing the next day.

Her father-in-law, respected tax agent Rodo Koletti, has been interviewed by officers preparing a statement for the coroner and detailed his son’s seven-year marriage to the older, 49-year-old, who allegedly orchestrated an elaborate Ponzi scheme fleecing friends and associates of $25 million.

Police have interviewed Melissa Caddick’s inner circle, including her husband Anthony Koletti’s father, in a bid to build a picture of the swindler’s mindset.

Conwoman Melissa Caddick was married to second husband, DJ and hairdresser Anthony Koletti, for seven years.

“I don‘t know what I was doing on the 11th and 12 but I was certainly nowhere near Dover Heights,” Rodo Koletti said.

“Melissa and Anthony were happily married.

“They were very happy and even if Melissa’s business documents were sitting on the kitchen table in front of Anthony he would not know what he was looking at.

“Of my sons he’s the least business minded, he’s the more artistic, which is why he went into hairdressing working for Joh Bailey for many years.

Melissa Caddick’s older brother Adam Grimley, who owns one per cent of his sister‘s mansion and has a trust company listed at her Dover Heights address, has been dealing with his sister’s legal matters. It is not suggested he was involved in any wrongdoing. Picture: Joel Carrett

Melissa Caddick lived an extravagant lifestyle and owned a home in Paddington, Sydney, before moving to her $6million mansion in Dover Heights. Picture by Andy Baker.

“He doesn‘t have the business capacity to know what a financial scheme is.”

There is no suggestion Ms Caddick’s family or friends had any involvement in her disappearance, death or financial dealings.

The mother of one was reported missing about 5.30am on November 12 but officers believe she may have gone missing the night before.

She is understood to have orchestrated an elaborate Ponzi scheme in which money from later investors was used to pay earlier investors.

The conwoman is presumed dead after she walked out of her home shortly after it was raided by Federal Police and ASIC officers probing her financial services company.

Bones and tissue of her severed foot were found in February in a shoe on the south coast, 450km from her mansion and, while other various remains have also washed up on beaches in the area, none have been linked to her.

Asked by police if he believed Mrs Caddick was dead, Mr Koletti said he told officers: “I do not feel police have to date provided enough information for me to form an opinion one way or the other if Melissa is dead.

“How much of the mysterious foot was found in the shoe, how was it severed, how do they explain that forensic scientists stated that it was unlikely the shoe had been in the ocean for less than two weeks?”

Mr Koletti has been assisting detectives pictured arriving at the couple’s Dover Heights home a week after his wife disappeared. Picture: Richard Dobson

Mr Koletti said he did not provide a signed statement to police when they refused to give him a copy.

“After the interview, I checked the statement for accuracy and signed it but was told I could not have a copy,” he said.

“A senior detective said it was because there had been too many leaks but this was a betrayal of my personal rights as a citizen so I withdrew it but was told an unsigned version of my statement would be sent to the coroner.

“Anyone can make comments anytime, this is not ‘leaking’ their own information - when did we become a China where freedom of speech is not allowed?”

Mrs Caddick’s brother Adam Grimley and parents Ted (far right) and Barbara (far left) attended a funeral service for the missing fraudster at an Eastern Suburbs memorial park several weeks ago. Picture: John Grainger

Anthony Koletti and other family members attended memorial for Melissa Caddick at an Eastern Suburbs memorial park. Picture John Grainger

One victim, who asked not to be named, told police she had known Mrs Caddick for more than 20 years and associated on a social basis with her family and Anthony Koletti at the couple’s Eastern Suburbs home.

“We just want our money back, my partner has worked hard for our retirement,” she said.

NSW Police did not comment other than a spokeswoman saying: “As part of a routine report for the coroner, it is a standard protocol to interview anyone we believe can assist.”