Anthony Riordan requests to vary bail over alleged $1.6m tax fraud

The estranged brother of a Liberal frontbencher accused of a $1.6m tax fraud has requested a court to vary his bail so he can speak to witnesses in his case.

The brother of Liberal MP Richard Riordan (pictured above is Richard) says he knows “nothing about” the theft of a horse float he has been accused of stealing. Picture: David Geraghty / The Australian.

The brother of a Victorian Liberal MP accused of a $1.6m tax fraud has asked a court to vary his bail so he can speak to witnesses in the case.

Anthony Riordan and co-accused Zachary Damian Matheson appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with the theft of a white 2018 LandCruiser worth $100,000 and a white horse float worth $15,000 at Cape Schanck on the other side of Port Phillip Bay on January 25, 2022.

Mr Riordan, the brother of the MP for Polwarth, Richard Riordan, said he knew “nothing about the theft of a horse float”.

Mr Riordan, who is also up on stalking charges, told the court he would be contesting the stalking charges.

“I question whether the elements satisfy stalking,” he said.

It was alleged he installed a tracking device to the car of his victim “with the intention of arousing apprehension in the victim for his own safety” on January 24 or 25 2022.

He was accused of “staking out the victim’s place of business” and “conducting physical surveillance on the victim” in Geelong suburb Breakwater around the same time.

Richard Riordan’s estranged brother Anthony has been charged with tax fraud, stalking and theft. (Pictured above is Richard) Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Mr Riordan, who was not represented by a lawyer, asked for a bail variation so he could speak to witnesses in his “Commonwealth matter”.

The court heard that witnesses in the alleged tax fraud were also witnesses in his theft matters, and that is why he requested to vary his bail.

“Organise to have a bail variation so we could communicate with those witnesses to allow us to prepare for trial,” Mr Riordan told Magistrate Michael Smith.

Mr Smith stressed the matters be resolved, as they had been before the court since January 2022.

The Commonwealth matter he referred to is an alleged $1.6m tax fraud between July 2021 and May 2022 through GST refunds.

The companies embroiled in his alleged criminal activity include Meriton Group Western Australia Pty Ltd, Collett Swallow Property Developments Australasia, Car Assist Australia, APHR Pest Control, Evolution Exploration and Mining Australia, GWTE Earthmoving and Excavation and Mroue & Smith International Food Company.
The two co-accused will return to court on May 7.

Mr Riordan will face a committal for his alleged tax fraud on August 20, where evidence will be given to see if the matter could head to a higher court.

Richard Riordan has since 2015 been the member for Polwarth, covering the Colac and Corangamite area.

He is no longer in contact with his brother.

Originally published as Anthony Riordan requests to vary bail over alleged $1.6m tax fraud