Nant whisky founder Keith Batt pleads not guilty to barrel scheme fraud charges

A man accused of perpetrating the large-scale hoodwinking of Tasmanian whisky investors has fronted court to formally plead not guilty to more than 700 fraud and stealing charges.

Nant Distilling founder, Keith Batt, 63, has pleaded not guilty to 622 counts of fraud, 66 counts of stealing, and 48 counts of dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

A man accused of perpetrating the large-scale hoodwinking of Tasmanian whisky investors has fronted court to formally plead not guilty to more than 700 fraud and stealing charges.

Nant Distilling founder, Keith Batt, 63, appeared in-person before Magistrate Andrew McKee on Monday in Hobart, where defence lawyer Todd Kovacic entered not guilty pleas on his client’s behalf to 622 counts of fraud, 66 counts of stealing, and 48 counts of dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage.

Court documents outline the charges relating to hundreds of complainants who between 2010 and 2015 were caught up in an allegedly fraudulent whisky investment scheme.

While investors purchased barrels of Nant whisky on the understanding the distillery would buy them back at a higher price after maturation, it is alleged many barrels had their liquor removed, or were never filled at all.

Documents claim Mr Batt dishonestly acquired a financial advantage by “issuing … a barrel certificate which falsely represented that whiskey barrel number … was filled and stored in the Nant Distillery bond store at Bothwell”.

The stealing counts involve values of between $3000 and $5500.

Magistrate McKee committed Mr Batt to appear in the Supreme Court of Tasmania on 24 March next year.

Originally published as Nant whisky founder Keith Batt pleads not guilty to barrel scheme fraud charges