iscover Melbourne accountant pleads guilty to false, misleading invoices
BusinessA Melbourne accountant could now face up to 10 years in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of authorising false or misleading invoices under the Corporations Act.
Accountant Jason Dermot Cullen, of Yarraville in Victoria, has pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria to two counts of authorising the making of a false or misleading document required by or for the purposes of the Corporations Act.
Mr Cullen, an accountant engaged to provide services to former ASX-listed NewSat Limited, was discovered to have authorised the making of two invoices for accounting services that were false or misleading on 18 January 2012 and 9 August 2012 after ASIC commenced investigations.
The invoices caused NewSat to make payments to a private company associated with the company’s director and former chief executive officer, Adrian Maxwell Ballintine.
NewSat, a satellite communications provider, had entered into liquidation on 7 August 2015 and was listed on the ASX until 31 August 2015.
Mr Ballintine has also since pleaded guilty to one “rolled up” charge of authorising the making of three invoices that were false or misleading contrary to section 1308(2) of the Corporations Act.
Each of the charges carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
The matter has been adjourned for sentencing on a date yet to be set in the County Court of Victoria.
Jotham Lian
Jotham Lian is the editor of Accountants Daily, the leading source of breaking news, analysis and insight for Australian accounting professionals.
Before joining the team in 2017, Jotham wrote for a range of national mastheads including the Sydney Morning Herald, and Channel NewsAsia.
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