Sydney construction boss George Alex – who was found guilty of a conspiracy to defraud the Australian Tax Office (ATO) of $10 million – is in custody today after earlier failing to show up to court as directed.
The 53-year-old was granted bail to receive medical treatment despite being found guilty on Tuesday, September 3 of the tax fraud syndicate, along with four co-conspirators.
While the four other men were taken into custody after the guilty verdicts, Alex’s doctor convinced the judge to keep him out on bail to receive opioid treatment in Northern Beaches Hospital, where he has been since August 23.
Alex was due to front the NSW Supreme Court today, when Justice Desmond Fagan was scheduled to hear a detention application.
Alex instead dialled in via video link from Northern Beaches Hospital and when Justice Fagan asked him for an explanation, the 53-year-old replied “I don’t have one, Your Honour.”
Justice Fagan said he was “left with no alternative” but to issue a warrant for Alex’s arrest.
According to ABC News, Alex walked into the Darlinghurst Courthouse about lunchtime, carrying a yellow Gatorade and packet of cigarettes, and was taken into custody before the judge.
Alex was at the centre of a six-month trial involving five other men including Mr Alex’s 26-year-old son Arthur Alex, who was found not guilty of the single charge against him.
The group are accused of running a labour hire business with legitimate construction industry clients and used a multi-layered, “revolving door” of companies to pocket pay-as-you-go (PAYG) withholding tax from the wages and salaries of labour hire and office staff.
Two weeks ago, Mr Alex was also found guilty of conspiring to deal with more than a million dollars in proceeds of crime.
Alex will be sentenced in November.
Source: ABC News.
