Chris Pappas in dispute with boiler-room co-accused

A Gold Coast identity bashed with a hammer involving masked men at his waterfront mansion is embroiled in an unconnected feud with a former boiler-room co-accused.

John Doumani, Jack Doumani and Chris Pappas

A Gold Coast identity who was bashed with a hammer and stabbed by masked men in an early morning raid on his waterfront mansion is embroiled in a bitter feud with a business partner and former co-accused in a multimillion-dollar “boiler room” fraud case.

But there is no suggestion that the legal stoush was connected with the attack on businessman and muscle car racer Chris Pappas, which police are still investigating.

Mr Pappas was admitted to hospital after he was attacked in his Mermaid Waters home about 3am on Tuesday last week.

The 36-year-old was at home with his partner and baby when two intruders burst in and struck him in the head multiple times with a hammer while also stabbing him in the thigh.

It is understood he suffered the injuries after wrestling with the intruders.

Mr Pappas was taken by ambulance to Gold Coast University Hospital in a serious condition. He has since been released as police investigations continue.

The Courier-Mail can reveal that Mr Pappas, his sister Isabella, 30, and their developer father Chris Sr, 83, are involved in Supreme Court stoushes with Jack Doumani, his son James and some of their companies.

Bank accounts have been frozen, according to court documents, and the Pappas’ and Doumanis are fighting over everything from allegedly being shut out of business meetings to control of office items including executive desks, a fridge, microwave and coffee machine.

Mr Pappas, Jack Doumani and another son, John, were among several men arrested and charged over an alleged multimillion “boiler room” fraud in 2015.

However, the charges were recently dropped after permanent stays against prosecution were granted in Southport District Court.

The boiler room fraud case was one of the most prominent of its kind on the Gold Coast in recent years.

Photographs depicted a smiling Jack Doumani and John being arrested at their lavish Broadbeach Waters home in October 2015 where police seized a $200,000 Bentley and a $180,000 Audi among other luxury items.

There is no suggestion that any of the Doumanis were involved in the attack on Mr Pappas.

Chris and Isabella Pappas have been business partners with Jack and James Doumani but in May this year, they launched Supreme Court action against the Doumanis and eight companies.

The Pappas’ alleged in court documents that the affairs of seven companies – Next Generation Advice, NGAA, FBC Australia, 21 Upton St Holdings, Sharpmove Finance, Integral Advisory Solutions and Integral Wealth Group – had been “conducted contrary to the interests of the members as a whole” and/or were “oppressive”, “unfairly prejudicial” and/or “unfairly discriminatory” towards them.

Chris Pappas in racing driver mode (Facebook image)

The claim alleged Ms Pappas, acting as trustee for The Yen Trust, had been excluded from the management and business affairs of Next Generation Advice, NGAA, FBC Australia and 21 Upton St Holdings

She sought court orders including that the James Doumani-linked N & J Consultants Pty Ltd, purchase her shares in the companies for “fair value” based on the alleged improper business conduct, or an order that they be wound up and a liquidator appointed.

Her brother, acting as trustee for The Dymo Trust, sought similar orders in relation to Sharpmove Finance, Integral Advisory Solutions and Integral Wealth Group.

Ms Pappas also sought orders that she has an equitable interest in a Bundall property owned by Upton St Holdings.

Court documents allege that company bank accounts were frozen last month after a court-approved undertaking by the Doumanis not to deal with company assets, property or funds without Ms Pappas’ consent or “in the ordinary course of business”.

The documents allege the accounts were frozen, and staff could not be paid, after Ms Pappas expressed “serious concerns” that $140,000 in company funds had been spent in June.

In an email last month to Next Generation’s financial controller, filed as part of the court battle, Ms Pappas said she had not approved any transactions since the court orders were made and had frozen the bank accounts because she was not satisfied the expenditure was for a “proper purpose”.

“James, Jack and yourself seem to forget that I am still a director of Next Generation,” she said in the email to Omar Salkic.

“I cannot and will not allow the business to be run by James, Jack and yourself without any regard to me.”

N & J Consultants later applied to the court for orders that Ms Pappas “take all reasonable and necessary steps” to allow Next Generation to make designated payments and to reimburse N & J for previous payments.

A defence to the claim has yet to be filed but the court documents reveal court-ordered mediation between the warring parties has failed.

Pappas company Point Bay Developments, directed by Chris Pappas Sr, has launched separate Supreme Court action against the Doumanis and Upton St Holdings seeking “immediate right to possession” of property stored at the company’s Upton St, Bundall, address.

The list includes office furniture including two executive desks, two 190cm plasma TVs, a boardroom table, fridge, microwave, coffee machine, development photos and documents.

Mr Pappas Jr and his partner Krystle Earsman were involved in a fiery high-speed crash at Bundall in 2022 and were pulled from the wreckage of his $330,000 McLaren supercar.

Originally published as Chris Pappas in dispute with boiler-room co-accused