The Snitch: Accountant mentioned in two major tax fraud cases
Which Sydney accountant needs to start seeing people other than organised criminals? What’s the drama for Sydney’s worst gang rapists? And which high profile media exec was expected in court? The Snitch is here.
Brenden HillsSenior Reporter@BrendenHills
The Sunday Telegraph
October 26, 2024 - 7:30PM
It might be time for Sydney accountant Filomena Kyriacou to find some new friendships and professional circles.
We say this because she and her firm, Wentworth Williams Accounting, have been mentioned repeatedly in two of the biggest tax fraud cases in the state’s history.
And when your name pops up in the cases of tax fraudsters Adam Cranston and George Alex, who were found guilty of ripping off the Australian Taxation Office to the tune of $105m and $10m, respectively, it might be time to assess who you’re associating with.
Not that Snitch is accusing Ms Kyriacou of committing any illegal behaviour. However, she has long been linked to Alex via his history of court dramas and the accountancy work she has performed for his vast network of companies.
Spies tell us that Alex also attended the wedding of Ms Kyriacou’s son. And Alex’s trial was littered with references to Ms Kyriacou attending meetings with him.
After Cranston was charged over his massive tax fraud, he actually worked for Ms Kyriacou’s firm for a short period.
Coincidentally, we’re told Cranston then went to work for Alex in a financial role.
Ms Kyriacou was also referenced in Cranston’s court case – the most memorable being when Adam was secretly recorded by police telling a friend that his father, Michael, an ex-senior investigator for the ATO, refused tickets to a St George Dragons match after finding out they had been gifted by her accountancy firm.
In January 2017, Adam told his mate: “Imagine if he’s in a box with Wentworth Williams (and) someone gets a photo of him and … he takes them down and they’re like ‘Mate, you were in the f--king box’.”
Meanwhile, Ms Kyriacou’s personal dramas are coming to a head.
After not being able to find Ms Kyriacou – despite her being spotted at Sydney theatre shows and luxury cruises – the ATO has served her with legal documents in its NSW Supreme Court case against her over alleged unpaid tax.
The case is next listed on November 5.
SKAF
You wouldn’t believe it, but there’s drama in the family of Sydney’s notorious gang rapists Mohammed and Bilal Skaf. Younger brother Hadi was only two when they committed appalling gang rapes that shocked Sydney – and are still used as benchmark for measuring evil.
More than two decades on, Hadi is finding trouble of his own. He has been slapped with an AVO to protect one of his female family members after police became concerned he posed an imminent threat of violence towards her.
Earlier this year, Hadi was sentenced for using a device to illegally track a person, and other drug offences.
KEEP IT CIVIL
District Court judge Garry Neilson corrected any potential misunderstandings by a jury this week that lawyers are nice people.
In the case of executive assistant Cheree Curran, who is accused of stealing $1.3m from her boss and property mogul Thomas Breuer, the jury was told his family brought a civil lawyer to see the tycoon over their suspicions of the alleged theft.
Not wanting the jury to misread the scenario, Judge Neilson set them straight.
“I suppose I should tell you what is meant by ‘civil lawyer’,” he told the jury.
“It doesn’t mean they are very polite people,” he explained. “It just means they don’t practise in crime (criminal law).”
WHERE’S BRUCE?
Still on Ms Curran’s trial, there was no sign of legendary litigator and feared Channel 7 executive Bruce McWilliam.
With McWilliam set to have more time on his hands after announcing the end of this lengthy tenure with Seven, he had been expected to be a fixture in the public gallery of the trial.
His presence was expected given that his wife, Nicky McWilliam, is the daughter of Mr Breuer and was giving evidence under questioning from the crown solicitor, Daniel Noll, on Friday.
Perhaps he will be in court from tomorrow when things become a little more confrontational when the cross examination of Nicky by Ms Curran’s defence lawyers begins.
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05 Nov |
9:00 am |
2023/00060451 |
DEPUTY
COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION v Filomina Kyriacou (aka Filomena Kyriacou) |
Civil |
Supreme Court |
Directions (Common Law Registrar) |
Registrar J
Hedge |
Supreme Court Sydney |
Law Courts Building |
