One of the few investors to receive their money back from fraudster Melissa Caddick is due to give evidence at her inquest.
Dominique Ogilvie in August 2020 was waiting for a dental appointment when she had a chance encounter with Jennifer Porter, whose Australian Financial Services Licence Ms Caddick was illegally using as her own.
Ms Porter later showed Ms Ogilvie documentation that proved this and encouraged her to contact Ms Caddick and request her money back.
Ms Ogilvie made up a story that she wanted to purchase property and insisted Ms Caddick transfer back her millions.
Isabella Allen from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission confirmed Ms Ogilvie’s original investment of $2.5 million, plus the purported profits of $380,000, were subsequently returned to her.
ASIC commenced its formal investigation into Ms Caddick and conducted a telephone interview with Ms Ogilvie on September 14.
“We said if (Ms Ogilvie) were to run into Ms Caddick or have subsequent phone calls or speak to her, she could speak to her freely but keep the contents of our conversation confidential,” Ms Allen told the NSW Coroners Court on Monday.
Data obtained from Ms Caddick’s mobile phone indicated her searching for shredding services that evening, and a day later booked the services of Shred-X.
But Ms Allen does not believe this was the result of Ms Caddick being “tipped off by anyone”, after looking into some of the evidence that was destroyed.
Ms Caddick pretended she was investing her victims’ wealth by appearing to set up CommSec trading accounts and forging documents to claim she was generating profits.
She preyed on mostly friends and family, and stole up to $30 million between 2013 and 2020, counsel assisting Jason Downing SC has told the inquest.
Her husband Anthony Koletti reported the 49-year-old as missing some 30 hours after he says she walked out of their home for the last time on November 12 about 5.30am to go for a walk.
His stories to police about the last time he saw his wife have been inconsistent and subject to intense scrutiny during the inquest. He is due to give evidence following Ms Ogilvie.
In February 2021 Ms Caddick’s decomposing foot encased in an Asics shoe washed ashore at Bournda Beach on the NSW south coast, about 400km south of Sydney.
© AAP 2022
