Wael Kourieh: Hillross Bella Vista director sentenced for forging signatures for commissions

A business director who was accused of pocketing multiple commissions after forging signatures of new members in a superannuation investment scheme has been sentenced.

UPDATE: by Nicole Pierre - August 10, 2021

A business director who was accused of pocketing multiple commissions after forging signatures of new members in a superannuation investment scheme has avoided a conviction.

Wael Kourieh, 60, from West Ryde, was a director of Nexus Financial Planning Pty Ltd which was trading as Hillross Bella Vista from June 2010 to March 2016.

ASIC alleged Nexus bought a client book for an AMP corporate superannuation product SuperLeader which allowed employers and employees to become members.

Nexus would then receive commissions from AMP for each super member in the client book.

Kourieh was responsible for bringing in new business and administering the client book.

ASIC told the court Kourieh made false documents by forging 30 member signatures on AMP superannuation investment election forms between September and November 2015.

Kourieh pleaded guilty to one count of making false documents and one count of using false documents last month.

According to court attendance notices, Kourieh used the fake election forms to “induce a person, being an employee of AMP, to accept them as genuine” in order to receive commissions from AMP.

Kourieh fronted Parramatta Local Court last Friday where he was found guilty to both charges.

Magistrate Kate Thompson sentenced him to a two-year conditional release order without conviction.

EARLIER: by Nicole Pierre and Joanne Vella

Wael Kourieh, 60, from West Ryde, was a director of Nexus Financial Planning Pty Ltd which was trading as Hillross Bella Vista from June 2010 to March 2016.

ASIC alleges Nexus bought a client book for an AMP corporate superannuation product SuperLeader which allowed employers and employees to become members.

Wael Kourieh, of West Ryde, pleaded guilty to one count of making false documents and one count of using false documents in Parramatta Local Court.

Nexus would then receive commissions from AMP for each super member in the client book.

Kourieh was responsible for bringing in new business and administering the client book.

ASIC alleges Kourieh made false documents by forging 30 member signatures on AMP superannuation investment election forms between September and November 2015.

According to court attendance notices, Kourieh used the fake election forms to “induce a person, being an employee of AMP, to accept them as genuine” in order to receive commissions from AMP.

Kourieh pleaded guilty to one count of making false documents and one count of using false documents at Parramatta Local Court.

He will face the same court for sentence in August.