Fruiterer Abdul Shaikh avoids jail time despite ripping $90,000 off Yarra Valley Farms
An angry fruiterer who stole $90,000 from one of Melbourne’s largest fruit and vegetable wholesalers then bought two properties has claimed he did it because he was upset business wasn’t going well.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An angry fruiterer stole almost $90,000 from his wholesaler boss because he was upset business wasn’t going well, a court was told.
Abdul Shaikh, 40, was sentenced in the County Court last week to a two-year community correction order after pleading guilty to obtaining a financial advantage by deception.
Shaikh rorted company Yarra Valley Farms just four months after he became a franchisee of the fruit and vegetable wholesale goliath.
The fruiterer concocted an invoicing scam which netted him almost $90,000 via 2000 fraudulent transactions between November 2013 and November 2017.
The court heard Shaikh’s stint as a franchisee was “not successful”, so the wholesaler set him up with “slam dunk” corporate clients but this was not enough.
Instead, Shaikh rorted Yarra Valley Farms – a supplier of many of Melbourne’s top restaurants, hotels and corporate clients – because he was “frustrated” with the franchise partnership.
Shaik purchased two properties – including an investment property which he was able to rent out – while rorting his victim, the court heard.
Shaikh also borrowed $150,000 from his brother to purchase the franchise but has yet to pay him back, the court was told.
Shaikh’s shonky behaviour was suspected by Yarra Valley Farms who launched an internal investigation.
The company then handed its findings over to police.
Shaikh admitted to police to adjusting invoice pricing “if need be”.
Yarra Valley Farms boss Bill Kollatos – who “built the business from scratch” – said, in his victim impact statement, Shaikh had been a “trusted partner” and that he felt “betrayed” by his conduct.
Judge Gabriele Cannon said Shaikh “breached the trust” of his victim.
“You behaved in a deliberative and dishonest fashion over and over again over a four-year period,” she said.
“This was no set and forget exercise on your part but one where you chose to alter details in a fraudulent fashion over 2000 times so that you could be paid money to which you were not entitled.
“You did not see the light at any stage and stop what you were doing rather it took police involvement to make you stop.”
Judge Cannon said Shaikh’s excuse for his offending was “concerning”.
“It seems to me that you have sought to justify and rationalise your behaviour because of your perceptions regarding the behaviour of the franchisor,” she said.
“If you felt aggrieved by any aspect of the franchise arrangement there were legitimate avenues for you to pursue to seek some redress rather than to behave as you did.”
Judge Cannon said Shaikh’s lifestyle was “not particularly extravagant” but he was in a “rather good position” financially.
Shaikh was ordered to repay Yarra Valley Farms the full amount stolen.
MORE NEWS
FALLEN AFL TALENT'S SHOCK CARLTON COCAINE CLAIMS
ESTATE AGENT SOLD COCAINE ON CRAIGLISTS WITH THE BACHELOR STAR