Colab Melbourne Project director vanishes leaving $7m tax debt
Liquidators of a Melbourne business are hunting for answers after the company’s director mysteriously “disappeared”, abandoning employees and owing millions in tax and superannuation.
The director of a collapsed Melbourne company has reportedly “disappeared” without a trace, leaving behind a whopping $7m tax bill.
Colab Melbourne Project, which was understood to provide glass facades and window installation services, was ordered into liquidation following legal action from the ATO, with over $7.1m owed in taxes and superannuation.
Appointed liquidator Philip Newman of PCI Partners claimed he was told by a former employee that the director vanished late last year.
Company records reveal Vasanthnath Daka as the current sole director and shareholder of the business.
“(An ex-employee) advised that the director disappeared in around November 2024, and he has been unable to contact anyone from the company since then,” Mr Newman said in his report to creditors.
The liquidator said he will now report Mr Daka to the corporate regulator for “possible prosecution” after failing to handover the company’s financial details.
“To date, my attempts to contact the director have been unsuccessful,” he said.
“Further, I have not been provided with any books and records of the company.
“I will shortly be reporting the failure of the director to provide me with (books and records) to the ASIC for investigation and possible prosecution.”
He also reached out to the company’s listed accountant, who said the firm had never provided any services to the business.
“I wrote to the company’s pre-appointment accountant identified from the ASIC search to seek copies of any records they hold,” he said.
“This accountant advised that they never provided accounting services and have no company records.”
The company, established in October 2023, has a registered office and principal place of business in the Docklands, Melbourne.
“My enquiries with the agent engaged to market this property indicated that the company no longer operates from this site and they have no contact details available for the company or director,” Mr Newman said.
The ATO claimed $3.6m was owed in superannuation, Mr Newman said, with a further $3.4m owed to the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation.
No secured claims against the company or bank accounts held in the business’ name were identified during Mr Newman’s initial investigations.
“Given the lack of any bank accounts identified for the company I have been unable to assess any trading activity that may have been conducted prior to the liquidation commencing,” he said.
Searches revealed no cars or real estate owned by the business, nor any property registered under Mr Daka’s name.
Mr Newman said his probe into the company’s affairs had so far relied on tips from creditors and other third parties.
“In the absence of the director’s co-operation, I have been unable to determine the reasons for the failure of the business other than the non-payment of the debt owing to the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation,” he said.
Mr Newman was first appointed to the company by the Federal Court of Australia on July 30, after the tax office launched a winding up order against the company.
Mr Daka could not be contacted for comment.
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Originally published as Colab Melbourne Project director vanishes leaving $7m tax debt
