Cops claim links to key figures
FOR the past 13 years, police allege Mrunal Parekh has been associated with some of the biggest boiler-room fraudsters on the Gold Coast.
The 38-year-old father of three was yesterday charged with five counts of fraud, which the Southport Magistrates Court heard could be linked to alleged father and son fraudsters Jack and John Doumani.
Parekh is also accused of having links to a fraud operations allegedly run by disgraced ex-cop Mick Featherstone, the court heard.
Police allege Parekh was some 13 years ago also allegedly linked to convicted fraudsters Mark David Henderson and Michael John O’Hara.
The Doumanis were charged last year after their Bundall company Charterhurst was raided.
Police alleged the company raked in $59 million over six years by dishonestly inducing people to make payments to the corporation.
The co-accused father and son were arrested at their lavish Broadbeach Waters home in October 2015 where police seized a $200,000 Bentley and a $180,000 Audi along with a jetski, motorbike and other luxury items.
Yesterday, the court heard the Doumanis’ names were “littered throughout” the allegations against Parekh.
Detectives claim Parekh was a kingpin in several fraud operations but his defence barrister Alastair McDougall yes- terday told the court his client had no criminal history and the “strength of the crown case was not abundantly clear”, nor did it outline the alleged role his client played in any of the scams.
He added that there was expected to be a “no case to answer submission” made at the Doumanis’ upcoming committal hearing related to their involvement in an alleged coldcalling operation, which made any allegations related to Parekh’s involvement with the father and son weak.
Police allege the Clear Island Waters man personally scammed about $3.5 million out of victims over more than a decade through several investment schemes.
It is alleged Parekh was previously associated with Gold Coast conman Michael John O’Hara, who once pretended to be Adolf Hitler’s son.
O’Hara was sentenced in the Brisbane District Court in April 2012 after he posed as a telemarketer to lure people into bogus investments for diamonds in South America, Chinese iron ore and gas pipelines in Saudi Arabia.
In 2006, the Gold Coastbased telemarketing scam he was a part of defrauded 167 people of about $1.86 million, the court was told.
The court heard Parekh was also allegedly associated with the principal salesman in another bogus scheme, Mark David Henderson, who ran the company Sports International Investment Corporation.
“He was never charged in relation to matters from 12 years ago,” Mr McDougall told the court yesterday. “(The police) maintain there is a connection, yet he hasn’t been charged for 12 years.
“There has been no explanation for the delay in the charging him.”
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Janelle Walsh said it was raids in 2015 and 2016 and subsequent searches of hardware that allowed police to arrest and lay charges against Parekh.
“There are three operations that have been involved in the culmination of today,” she said.
Acting Det Sen-Sgt Walsh said the scams Parekh was alleged to have been involved with had a life-changing impact on some victims.
“The level of loss suffered by our complainants is certainly substantial,” she said.
“It has severely impacted people’s lives.”
Parekh was yesterday granted bail and will return to court on September 14.