Man denies fraud charges

JURORS in a fraud trial involving the alleged mark-up of invoices to a Cairns company listened to 13 recorded phone calls in which a man expressed shock when ultimately charged.

Stephen John Muller, who ran the company Macro Energy, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of fraud.

He was heard repeatedly saying on the recordings he had not acted dishonestly and had not gained financially.

Crown Prosecutor Amy Stannard told Cairns District Court that Airfirst was a company providing services to Telstra, and it used subcontractors including Macro Energy.

Airfirst directors were Graeme Clifford King, James Eli Reid and Beth Maree Borzi, with the latter pair conducting an audit and alerting police in early 2018 of irregularities going back five years.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Mr Reid or Ms Borzi.

King was convicted of fraud and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with a suspended sentence after 18 months.

Ms Stannard showed the jury a chart outlining how Macro Energy sent quotes for work to King at Airfirst, and King would order Mr Muller to increase the amounts, and a new quote and eventually an invoice would be issued.

The Crown alleges Mr Muller received the payment for invoices, transferring the difference between the actual invoice and the inflated amount to an account called Four Kings. King then transferred money from Four Kings to his personal account.

Detective Senior Constable Jonathan Standish gave evidence a warrant was issued on May 31 to record calls on Mr Muller’s phone, King’s phone, and another person.

A search warrant was executed on Mr Muller’s home and business on June 15 and he was charged with fraud on June 22.

Mr Muller was heard on the tape saying he was concerned if he did not do as King instructed his company would not get the work.

“I’m only doing exactly what he has asked me to do but Graeme’s just gone ‘it has nothing to do with me, you put the invoices in’,” Mr Muller is heard saying.

“I’m not worried.”

The court has heard King sent Mr Muller emails with the subject line “Vary Telstra quote” and revised amounts to put on the quotes.

Mr Muller said King had indicated the extra amounts were King’s “management fee” and Mr Muller thought the arrangement may have been to minimise tax.

“I don’t see how we benefited one iota, not financially, it’s all twisted around,” Mr Muller said.

“He’s dragged me into his f **** ing world, I want to hit the b ****** , I live an honest life, I do an honest job, I’ve done nothing wrong.

“We were soft touches for him because we didn’t understand what he was doing.

“It’s opened a can of worms, he was doing the wrong thing and he has been caught, I haven’t financially benefited from anything,” Mr Muller said.

The court heard Mr Muller say on the phone there had been “no cash handouts”.

“I’m being charged with fraud, it’s a serious charge … I didn’t profit from any of it,” he said.