Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Melbourne bodyguard admits tax fraud
A MELBOURNE security industry figure who helped bring Arnold Schwarzenegger to Australia has pleaded guilty to fraud.
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A security industry figure who accompanied Arnold Schwarzenegger on his recent Australian visit has pleaded guilty to fraud.
Melbourne man Harry Korras admitted last month to dishonestly causing a loss to a Commonwealth entity.
But the Sunday Herald Sun can reveal he continued to work with a security company that had Defence Force contracts while on bail.
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Offices linked to Korras’ ACG national security company were raided by a federal task force investigating black money payments in 2014. He and five others were charged.
Investigators at first said it was a multimillion-dollar fraud, but it is believed Korras eventually pleaded guilty to causing a loss of almost $100,000 to the Australian Taxation Office.
Following the Taskforce Trident probe, Victoria Police revoked ACG’s security licence and those of eight employees, including Korras’.
Despite this, Korras was pictured flanking Schwarzenegger for the Melbourne Arnold Classic bodybuilding fair.
He claimed he not acting as a security guard.
“I’m not his bodyguard. I’m just an event manager,’’ Korras said in March. “He had other guys as his bodyguards. I don’t work in security anymore.”
Korras “mentored” the directors of security company ASF, which had been subcontracted by Wilson Security to perform guard patrols at Defence Force premises, supermarkets, immigration offices and hospitals. Korras was often seen at ASF’s Keilor Park headquarters.
Wilson Security chief executive John Rogers said there was no material presented to it regarding Korras’ involvement with ASF.
He said all security guards working at Defence premises were approved by its client.
As well as Korras, Sam Karram, Mohamed Ammouchi, Chris Georgiou, Julian Milla and Frank Moussa all pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly causing a loss to a Commonwealth entity. They will be sentenced on September 17.
Security industry sources were staggered when the Sunday Herald Sun published photos of Korras escorting Schwarzenegger during the Arnold Classic in Melbourne. They cast doubts on his claim that he was operating as an event manager rather than in a security role.
“Everyone was screaming, ‘how can he do this without a licence’?” one leading industry figure said. “Managers don’t stand next to the CPP (close personal protection).”