Police footage captured moment Melissa Caddick emptied safe for investigators

Footage of the moment investigators raided Melissa Caddick’s safe has been played at an inquiry into the fraudster’s disappearance.

Missing fraudster Melissa Caddick had stacks of cash in various currencies along with passports and expensive jewellery in a safe at her home when it was raided by financial investigators.

On Friday, a coronial inquiry into Ms Caddick’s disappearance was shown footage of the recently emptied safe, filmed as investigators combed through its contents, which included a large stack of $US100 notes and other foreign currency.

The exact amount of cash is not known, but it is identified in the footage as being in the thousands of dollars.

Boxes of expensive jewellery can also be seen, including two necklaces which Ms Caddick estimated was worth between $80,000-$100,000.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) investigators attended Ms Caddick’s home, along with Australian Federal Police officers on November 11, 2020 over an alleged $20 million investor fraud.

Shortly after the raid, Ms Caddick disappeared, prompting an extensive police investigation into her whereabouts, which has so far been unsuccessful in determining her fate.

Missing Sydney conwoman Melissa Caddick was ‘shocked’ when police and financial investigators knocked on her door, an inquiry into her disappearance has heard.

Investigators found wads of cash in various foreign currencies.

Constable Amelia Griffen from the AFP told the inquiry when she knocked on the door of the Dover Heights mansion shortly after 6am, Ms Caddick answered the door.

“She had a ponytail, she was wearing sports clothing. She looked well presented,” Constable Griffen said.

Ms Caddick was described as showing a “normal” level of shock.

The inquiry heard that throughout the ordeal, Ms Caddick remained calm and relaxed and did not appear particularly distressed.

She said “at one stage in the afternoon” as officers searched the four-storey premises, Ms Caddick lay down on her bed to nap.

Footage captured the moment investigators combed through the fraudster's safe, revealing stacks of cash, passports and jewellery. Picture: NSW Police

Caddick estimated two of the necklaces in the safe were worth between 80 and 100 thousand dollars each.

Earlier in the day, the inquiry heard from lead investigator Detective Sergeant Michael Foscholo, who said at one stage police were looking into the possibility her Uber account was active near Sydney Airport in the days after she disappeared.

Sergeant Foscholo was assigned as a “fresh set of eyes” on the case on November 23, 2020, roughly 10 days after the fraudster vanished without a trace following the raid on her home by financial investigators.

He told the inquiry that at the time he became the officer in charge, the “working theory” – which has since been dropped – was that Ms Caddick had deliberately gone missing and was potentially receiving help from husband Anthony Koletti.

The inquiry heard police analysis of Ms Caddick’s Apple and Uber accounts showed the possibility they had been accessed in the days following her disappearance on November 12, 2020.

Sergeant Foscholo said inquiries showed possible activity on Ms Caddick’s Uber account in the area of Sydney Airport on November 13.

Police investigated possible activity near Sydney Airport on Ms Caddick’s Uber account from the day after she disappeared.

Police spoke with Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Airways as well as Uber, the Taxi Council and NSW Transport in relation to Opal card records to determine if Ms Caddick had disappeared via the airport.

Investigators also accessed automated number plate and facial recognition from the Department of Immigration and also canvassed phone, email and social media accounts.

According to court documents, the inquiries yielded no evidence Ms Caddick was still alive and led Sergeant Foscholo to conclude he had “exhausted all signs of life inquiries”.

Ms Caddick’s husband, Anthony Koletti, arriving at the Lidcombe Coroners Court. Picture: Tim Hunter

Sergeant Foscholo told the inquiry the initial lead investigator on the case, Detective Sergeant Michael Kyneur, was under the impression Mr Koletti was hiding something and that Ms Caddick was still alive.

“It was his belief that Anthony Koletti may have been withholding information and somehow assisting Melissa,” Sergeant Foscholo said.

However, he added Sergeant Kyneur could not provide any specific theories on Ms Caddick’s whereabouts.

“It’s very important we remain open minded in these investigations because if something comes up during the course of the early inquiries, it can shape how the investigation progresses,” Sergeant Foscholo said.

Mr Foscholo said he was working with three main theories, of which he thought the least likely was that Ms Caddick had been harmed by a disgruntled investor, or by somebody else, including Mr Koletti.

He said at the time Ms Caddick disappeared, most of her clients were unaware they had been ripped off by her, making revenge an unlikely motive.

The other theories, which Sergeant Foscholo said he gave roughly equal footing to, were that she had deliberately self-harmed, or voluntarily gone missing, either with or without the help of Mr Koletti.

In the months after Ms Caddick disappeared, police received at least 162 reports from members of the public saying they had seen her or providing their own theories on what had happened to her.

According to police, all of the reports were reviewed, but provided “no reliable information to support the theory that Ms Caddick was alive”.

Forensic analysis was done at Ms Caddick’s Dover Heights home, which revealed no signs of blood or a struggle.

On Friday, the inquiry also heard from Senior Crime Scene Officer Ellen Konza, who conducted a forensic analysis of Ms Caddick’s home.

Ms Konza was tasked with looking for any blood in the premises or signs blood had been cleaned up.

She was also looking for evidence of damage, doors or windows being forced, or anything that could suggest a struggle or that a body had been moved from the premises.

Ms Konza said her examination did not yield anything to suggest a crime had taken place in the home.

“I saw nothing that indicated any blood, clean up of blood or any damage that was of interest,” she told the inquiry.

The inquest continues.