Grainpro director’s dark side emerges in trail of bankruptcies, AVOs

In the wake of GrainPro’s collapse, a Weekly Times investigation reveals much about Mario Pio Bonfante — the man at the centre of it all.

MARIO Bonfante does not appear to be the saint that he makes out to be.

An investigation by The Weekly Times has discovered Dr Bonfante is a former bankrupt, who has struggled to hold down jobs and has been issued with multiple apprehended domestic violence orders.

The Australian Government’s National Personal Insolvency Index shows the current director of Grainpro was bankrupted in February 2004 for three years, although the details are not clear.

Dr Bonfante’s career since 1999 has seen him struggle to keep a job, with many issuing him performance warnings.

All three of his employers from 2002 to 2008 — the Housing Industry Association, Steel Line Industries and Hunter Water Corporation — gave him performance warnings.

At least one of the warnings related to complaints made by other staff.

Ironically, when Dr Bonfante graduated with a Doctor of Business Administration in 2011, his thesis was on “exploring differences in job satisfaction” in work teams.

From 2008 to 2010, Dr Bonfante was chief executive officer of Health and Beauty International, a company that went into administration in 2009 and later liquidated. The Weekly Times is not suggesting he was responsible for HBI’s collapse.

Dr Bonfante was married four times, with successful grain trader Angela Greenhalgh, now known as Angela Hawke, being his fourth wife.

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ANGELA DIGS IN AGAINST DEAL FOR CREDITORS

GRAINPRO HISTORY: TAKEN IN, CLEANED OUT, LEFT LIABLE

An investigation by The Weekly Times shows NSW Police took out apprehended domestic violence orders against Dr Bonfante in late 2012 to protect two former wives.

The case was heard in the Newcastle Local Court on March 22, 2013. Dr Bonfante was ordered not to “assault, molest, harass, threaten or otherwise interfere” with the former wives, and ordered not to intimidate or stalk them.

In 2008, a court handed out another apprehended violence order against Dr Bonfante to protect a neighbour over another dispute.

The Weekly Times is not suggesting Dr Bonfante acted inappropriately.

Dr Bonfante did not return The Weekly Times’ calls yesterday.

BUSINESS NAMES

Zarttii Hair

March 5, 1993, to July 15, 1996

Fresh Hair-Body-Skin

February 2, 1998, to April 17, 2001

Epoch Solutions

January 19, 2010, to May 31, 2018

Horse Biz Australia

Sept 5, 2012, to February 5, 2016

ACT Lawn

March 17, 2014, to July 27, 2017

Grain Pro Australia

October 1, 2015, to present

Grain-Trader Australia

October 1, 2015,

to February 14, 2019

Grain Trader Global

October 1, 2015,

to February 14, 2019

GrainTrades. Com

February 9, 2016, to present

GrainBank

February 23, 2016, to present

GrainCredit

February 23, 2016, to present

Riverina Skyes Farmstay

February 19, 2017, to present

AgBiz Australia

February 22, 2019, to present

AgBiz Centres

February 22, 2019, to present

Australian Grain Industry Association

July 9, 2019, to present

Australian Grains Council

July 10, 2019, to present

Pure Seeds Australia

August 14, 2019, to present

Truck Book

August 15, 2019, to present