Melissa Caddick’s husband responds to big allegation about disappearance

Melissa Caddick’s husband denied he delayed reporting her missing so he could give her a head start on the law, a court has heard.

Melissa Caddick’s husband has denied he took over a day to report the fraudster missing in order to give her a head start so she could go on the run, a court has heard.

Ms Caddick, 49, disappeared in mysterious circumstances in November 2020, just hours after her Dover Heights home was raided by ASIC and the AFP over a Ponzi scheme she used to steal millions from investors.

Her suspected death is being examined by a coronial inquest and her husband Anthony Koletti has spent three days in the witness box being grilled over inconsistencies in his statements to police.

The court has also heard that Mr Koletti took 30 hours to report her missing.

Ms Caddick was heard walking out the door of her home in the early hours of November 12, 2020 but Mr Koletti did not call Rose Bay police station until 11.45am on November 13.

On Thursday afternoon, Mr Koletti also admitted he gave conflicting information to police about his movements between November 11 and November 13.

However, he denied deliberately delaying filing a missing person’s report to allow her to go on the run.

“Did you delay reporting her missing until that point in order to give her time to try to go somewhere?” Counsel assisting Jason Downing asked.

“No,” Mr Koletti said.

“Or end her own life?” Mr Downing asked.

“I did not,” Mr Koletti said.

Melissa Caddick with her husband Anthony Kolett. Picture: Facebook.

SMOKING

The court heard on Thursday that Mr Koletti allegedly smoked a joint with a friend on the night Ms Caddick vanished and deleted text messages because they contained references to marijuana.

Mr Koletti was asked about his movements on the evening of November 12, 2020, when Ms Caddick went missing.

Mr Koletti was evasive in his answers after Mr Downing asked him whether he met up with a friend, who can only be known as Witness A, to smoke marijuana.

“I’m going to suggest you were going to smoke a joint with him that night,” Mr Downing asked.

“I might have, I don’t remember,” Mr Koletti replied.

Anthony Koletti smoked a joint with a friend on the night his wife disappeared. Picture: Facebook

Mr Koletti told police that he did not remember leaving his house that night.

On the witness stand on Thursday, he initially said he went to the friend’s house to get an e-cigarette.

Further pressed by Mr Downing whether he smoked marijuana that night: “Sure, I don’t remember it, but I accept it.”

He later said “I don’t recall it at all” but added he might have done it to “calm down”.

The court was also told that before handing over his phone to police, Mr Koletti deleted text messages with Witness A.

Asked why he deleted the messages, Mr Koletti said: “Possibly because it had something to do with, as you suggested, marijuana.”

Mr Koletti on Thursday resumed his evidence after a dramatic day in the witness box on Wednesday when he had to stand down because he was having difficulty answering questions.

Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan allowed his evidence to be halted so he could be assessed overnight.

Melissa Caddick during the ASIC raid on her house. Picture: NSW Police

Mr Koletti returned to the witness box on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

He returned to the witness box on Thursday morning.

His solicitor Judy Swan told the court that Mr Koletti had received abusive messages via LinkedIn that were causing him distress, including one saying “dodgy prick, I hope you’re locked up”.

Mr Koletti has denied having any knowledge of Ms Caddick’s Ponzi scheme, which she used to misappropriate $20m-$30m worth of investor funds, including from her friends and family.

The inquest continues.