The Australia Federal Court heard on Tuesday that alleged fraudster Bill Papas fled Australia, despite telling his banker he was on his way to Perth to deal with issues raised by Westpac.
According to The Australian Financial Review, Mr Papas sent a text message on June 15, 2021, to a Westpac asset finance director and said: “Sorry to miss your call. I’m in transit to Perth, the meeting with WesTrac is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.”
Westpac’s lawyers told the court information obtained from the Department of Home Affairs showed Mr Papas was not in Perth on June 16, but rather flying out of Sydney to the city of Thessaloniki in north-eastern Greece.
Mr Papas and his former Forum business partner, Vincenzo Tesoriero, are at the centre of three weeks of hearings after the two men were targeted by a trio of banks over allegations of fraud.
Westpac, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and Societe Generale all claim they were defrauded by the Forum Group over several years.
Sources: ntnews.com, The Australian Financial Review
