Melissa Caddick disappearance: Christian Dior join legal battle over alleged conwoman’s fortune
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Fashion brand Christian Dior has stunned investigators by providing new information in the legal battle over the lost fortune of missing con artist Melissa Caddick.
Caddick, 49, disappeared two years ago on November 12, 2020, after investigators from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Federal Police raided her luxury home in Dover Heights in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
They seized designer clothes and valuables during the raid as they investigated allegations that she misled investors out of $23 million.
Now, the Paris-based haute couture label has contacted federal court to reveal that it owns assets and cash they received from the financial adviser with expensive tastes.
Caddick disappeared the morning after the ASIC raid when she apparently went for an early morning run and was never seen again.
Three months later, in February 2021, her decomposing severed foot washed up on Bournda Beach, 500 km south of Sydney, and she has since been presumed dead.
An inquest into her disappearance was launched this year, at the same time as an ASIC-led Federal Court case was filed against the alleged scammer.
Christian Dior is the latest to join the legal battle over the fortune of alleged con artist Melissa Caddick. Caddick, 49, disappeared two years ago after ASIC raided her home in Dover Heights
In the raid, the company’s regulator seized designer clothes and highly valuable assets while investigating allegations that it misled investors out of $23 million.
Photos from the ASIC raid were released on Tuesday showing multiple Christian Dior items, as well as rings set with diamonds and sapphires.
On Friday, the Federal Court heard that Christian Dior asked permission to be involved in the case against Caddick because it had money and documents in her name.
The Daily telegram report Christian Dior wants the court to order that “all funds in the account in the name of Melissa Louise Caddick” be deposited into an account designated by the trustees acting in Caddick’s stead in the pending lawsuit.
Christian Dior’s attorney, Masi Zaki, told the court on Friday that the design firm will hand over all records of Caddick’s money.
“We thought it would be in the interest of the stakeholders that not only the funds we hold, but also the documents we have, are shared with the trustees as soon as possible,” he told the court.
Mr Zaki said that Christian Dior is not commenting on who the money belongs to.
On Friday, the federal court heard that Christian Dior sought permission to be involved in the case against Caddick because the company had money and documents in its name.
In court on Friday, Caddick’s husband, Anthony Koletti, also asked the court to recognize him as the owner of several expensive items, as well as the money in Caddick’s superannuation trust fund
The court will now try to determine whether Christian Dior’s funds belong to Caddick or its investors.
The decision will be made later this year.
In court on Friday, Caddick’s husband, Anthony Koletti, asked the court to recognize him as the owner of several expensive items, as well as the money in Caddick’s superannuation trust fund.
Koletti tried to stop the court-appointed trustees from selling the items at upcoming auctions to repay her victims.
Hundreds of photos were released on Tuesday showing what was stashed in Caddick’s cupboards and drawers when Australian Federal Police and ASIC detectives raided her mansion in Dover Heights in eastern Sydney in November 2020.
Photos have surfaced of Melissa Caddick’s treasure trove of luxury possessions that investigators found during their raid. Pictured is a Chanel jacket
Melissa Caddick also had a collection of designer watches from Longines, Louis Vuitton, Tag Heuer and Christian Dior (pictured)
Her belongings will be auctioned in the coming weeks, ranging from designer label clothing, shoes, handbags and watches to scarves and jewelry worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Previously unseen photos taken by investigators during the raid include Chanel vests and ball gowns, a Christian Dior bomber jacket, a green fur coat, boxes of Louboutin shoes, Hermes and Louis Vuitton drawers, and scarves and designer perfume bottles.
Caddick’s expensive tastes extended to accessories such as Longines, Louis Vuitton, Tag Heuer, Gucci, Christian Dior watches and various designer handbags and wallets.
There is no suggestion that Mr. Koletti or any member of Caddick’s family knew of her alleged scam or fraud and was not charged with any wrongdoing in relation to her disappearance.
Investigators found an amazing collection of diamond and sapphire rings (above) at her home.