Melissa Caddick’s decomposed foot found on NSW south coast
An arrest warrant was issued for missing Sydney conwoman Melissa Caddick a day after campers found her decomposed foot on a remote NSW south coast beach, it can be revealed.
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An arrest warrant was issued for Melissa Caddick a day after a human foot was found on a south coast beach, police sources confirmed.
The warrant, issued on Monday, was on behalf of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in relation to several breaches of the Corporations Act.
Police at that stage had not positively identified the remains found in the running shoe by a camper walking along Bournda Beach, about 25km south east of Bega, on Sunday.
The ASICS running shoe, matching the description of what she was wearing when the corporate watchdog raided her Dover Heights home in November, was found washed up on the sand and the heavily decomposed remains of her foot were inside.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Willing revealed on Friday morning forensic testing on Thursday night confirmed the remains matched a DNA swab taken from Ms Caddick’s toothbrush.
“In that shoe were the remains of a human foot. That foot and the shoe matched the size and description of a shoe Melissa Caddick was seen wearing,” Asst Comm Willing said.
“It (the foot) was decomposed. Obviously it had been in the water for some time.”
Ms Caddick vanished from Sydney’s eastern suburbs on November 12 last year, 438km from where her remains were found.
Her final movements and how she ended up in the water “remains a mystery” and there were no reported sightings of the businesswoman on the south coast.
Just how long Ms Caddick’s body had been in the water also remains unclear, Asst Comm Willing said.
Earlier police work had raised the possibility of her body drifting from Dover Heights as far as Bermagui.
Foul play cannot be ruled out, police said, but the possibility of suicide is also being investigated.
“But given the circumstances and the fact she left her personal belongings behind we’ve always considered the possibility it was a suicide,” Asst Comm Willing said.
Police declined to comment on Ms Caddick’s mental state at the time, however, they did urge people in need to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Her son told police he heard her leaving the house in activewear for what he believed to be a morning run about 5.30am.
Extensive CCTV has been gathered by police investigators, none of which has as yet revealed her final movements.
Whether she ended up in the water at Dover Heights or elsewhere, and whether she had travelled by foot or car, is still not known.
Ms Caddick’s family were advised of her death on Thursday night and are said to be “very distressed”.
Police will be conducting searches around the south coast where her foot was located to see if they can locate any other remains.
Ms Caddick’s death will mean that police are unable to pursue criminal charges against her. It will now be a “matter for ASIC” to investigate whether anyone else was involved in the alleged fraud.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) raided Caddick’s home two days before she disappeared as part of an investigation by the corporate regulator ASIC after an investor discovered she had never held an Australian Financial Services licence.
A month after her disappearance, Jones Partners were appointed by the Federal Court of Australia as provisional liquidators of her wealth management company, Maliver Pty Ltd.
It has since been revealed that Caddick ran a Ponzi scheme in which she transferred investors’ money from her business into her personal accounts instead of investing the funds.
Jones Partners have since discovered she used an estimated $25 million from around 60 investors – some of whom were her friends – to buy real estate including a penthouse in Edgecliff, a ski lodge in Aspen and to purchase lavish designer clothing and fund expensive overseas trips.
Ms Caddick is alleged to have tricked investors using false bank statements, share contracts and share trading statements using trading company CommSec and the Commonwealth Bank letterhead.
Her disappearance left her unemployed hairdresser husband Anthony Koletti and his teenage stepson, 15, high and dry, after the Federal Court this week ordered the pair’s weekly living allowance be stopped because there was no money left.
Police do not believe Mr Koletti and her son had anything to do with her disappearance or death.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian extended her condolences to Melissa Caddick’s family and the people that knew her.
“Irrespective of what happened, her family deserves our care and support,” Ms Berejiklian said on Friday.
“I want to thank those citizens that came forward and provided information to the police. This is a good example of the community working with our police to get a good outcome in terms of identifying a case or putting a case to rest. But at the end of the day a young woman’s life was lost and we have to consider her family as well.”
FAMILY IN SECLUSION
Less than 24 hours after receiving news that his wife’s partial remains had been found on the south coast, Anthony Koletti remained hidden away in the pair’s $7 million Dover Heights mansion, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
The 38-year-old was visited by a friend just after 3.30pm, who carried a fruit hamper into the multi- million dollar house.
The unidentified man’s visit for less than an hour was the first sign that Mr Koletti was inside the home since news broke of Ms Caddick’s death.
Earlier on Friday morning a nearby neighbour placed a bunch of pink flowers by the gate, which was followed a few hours later by a teenage boy and his mum who placed a bunch of sunflowers beside the others.
Late last year, Mr Koletti — an unemployed hairdresser who had a music production company called Paws Off — told the Federal Court he had $1.95 in his bank account.
The court agreed he and his stepson would receive living expenses of $1700 per week. But according to consent orders recently filed with the court, “no further payment or allowance shall be made for living expenses”.
It is understood Mr Koletti has already had his $300,000 Audi repossessed.
There is no suggestion Mr Koletti or Ms Caddick’s son were aware or had anything to do with her alleged fraud and disappearance.
* Additional reporting Jack Morphet and Adella Beaini
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