Melissa Caddick inquest: Anthony Koletti breaks silence about conwoman wife’s disappearance

Melissa Caddick’s husband says he had no idea his wife was scamming family and friends out of millions of dollars — nor did he ask her why the federal police or corporate watchdog suddenly barged into their home.

Former hairdresser, DJ and shrimp farmer Anthony Koletti began testifying at the NSW Coroners Court on Tuesday during the inquest into his wife’s disappearance and presumed death.

Counsel assisting Jason Downing SC asked Mr. Koletti if he had been honest in his statements to police shortly after reporting his wife missing in November 2020.

“Does the truthful answer depend on who asks and why?” said Mr Downing.

“No,” said Mr. Koletti…

After the 12-hour search involving the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Securities Investment Commission, Mr Koletti said he didn’t ask Ms Caddick what was going on and they just went to bed.

“Are there many truths?” said Mr Downing.

“There is one truth,” said Mr. Koletti.

Koletti insists he has always been honest, but admitted that there may have been times when his “cables were crossed” because of his concerns and concerns.

All day he saw his wife “a little shaky” and said she seemed distant and vague, so he offered to make her coffee.

At one point, Mr. Downing asked if he asked why ASIC extensively searched his wife’s office, confiscating hardware and valuables.

“No, I don’t think I was really worried about that at the time. I was just convinced she hadn’t done anything wrong.’

Mr Koletti agreed that the event was abnormal and quite shocking. ‘It was certainly a surprise to me,’ said Mr Koletti.

The couple were seen together on CCTV footage outside the backyard on seven occasions without a police officer, Mr Downing said.

Koletti reported the 49-year-old was missing for about 30 hours after he said she last left their home to go for a walk around 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 12.

His stories to police about the last time he saw his wife were inconsistent and were heavily investigated during the inquest.

Earlier, the inquest heard Dominique Ogilvie who in August 2020 had a chance meeting with a woman who asked if she was using Melissa Caddick’s services.

‘And I said yes… she said ‘I need to talk to you’.

The pair exchanged phone numbers and Ms. Ogilvie – extremely alarmed by her tone – sent a message: ‘Dying to talk to you.’

At the time, Ms. Ogilvie had invested $2.5 million in Ms. Caddick’s fake Maliver company.

Later that day, the woman revealed that Ms Caddick was illegally using her Australian Financial Services Number.

Mrs. Ogilvie had met the conwoman while on vacation in Aspen Colorado, where she was staying in an apartment Mrs. Caddick claimed to own.

In April, she invested $450,000 and the documentation she received claimed to be making “good” profits, she said.

Later that month, she injected another $550,000, followed by $1 million and other subsequent investments.

“A large birthday present has just been deposited into your account,” she texted Mrs. Caddick, telling the inquest that she was “a little smart, sarcastic.”

Ms. Ogilvie is one of the few to get her money back plus an additional claimed profit of $380,000.

She was formally interviewed by the Australian Securities Investment Commission on Sept. 14, but she was still unsure of the extent of the fraud, she said.

She denied ever telling Ms. Caddick about the ASIC investigation into her.

In February 2021, Mrs Caddick’s decomposing foot, encased in an Asics shoe, washed ashore on Bournda Beach on the south coast of NSW, about 400 km south of Sydney.

The investigation continues.