The husband of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick has penned an explosive letter to the Federal Court, accusing Australia’s corporate watchdog of “dehumanising” his wife and defaming his character.
The letter Anthony Koletti, 40, wrote in February contained allegations about Isabella Allen, who is heading up the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) investigation into his wife.
The letter was the result of an AVO sought by police to protect Ms Allen against Mr Koletti, who said it was an attempt to “defame” and “villainise” him.
Ms Caddick disappeared the day after ASIC and the NSW Police raided her $6.2m Dover Heights home in November 2020.
The corporate watchdog says Ms Caddick misappropriated investor money to fund her lavish lifestyle, with investigators seizing luxury items including jewellery, watches, designer clothing and shoes.
She was declared dead four months after her disappearance in February 2021 when a decaying foot was found on a beach 400km south of Sydney.
In the letter, which was tendered to the Federal Court in an affidavit, Mr Koletti said he could not afford legal advice and accused Ms Allen of “severe negligence” and “inhumane treatment” toward his wife.
“In an attempt to defame my character before your honour, one day before your court date on 24 February Isabella Allen has sought an AVO against me,” the 40-year-old wrote.
“The last time I saw her was a year ago when she called me into her office to interview me. Whilst I was in her office I explained to her that my wife could possibly be deceased as I did not know at the time.
“Isabella and her colleagues laughed at me during this interview which they recorded on video camera.”
Mr Koletti said he would never know what actually happened to his wife and accused Ms Allen of abusing her position of power during an ASIC raid.
“The reason there is no proof of Melissa’s disappearance is because Isabella Allen removed my CCTV recorder from my premises leaving it both unsecured and unprotected,” Mr Koletti said.
“The reason Melissa is deceased and you don’t have a defendant is because of Isabella Allen’s severe negligence and inhumane treatment towards Melissa, whether Melissa committed suicide or was murdered.
“Melissa was dehumanised in front of her son and whilst the AFP were upstairs enjoying our view and having a merry old time.”
ASIC claims Ms Caddick stole from investors in an elaborate Ponzi scheme between 2012 and 2020.
The corporate watchdog claims she posed as a financial adviser and pretended to invest millions of dollars for clients into fake CommSec portfolios but instead spent the money on herself.
The watchdog has discovered 74 investors, many of whom were her friends and family, were fleeced by Ms Caddick of $23m.
However, Mr Koletti claims the liquidators are trying to defame him and his wife.
“The liquidators have been feeding privileged information to various news outlets and television networks on dozens of occasions to defame both Melissa’s and now my name in the public forum,” he alleged.
Mr Koletti said he had endured “a lot of stress and pain” following his wife’s death and had lost “everything” he worked for during his 26-year career.
“Please take into account I don’t have the means to sue Michael Hayter or ASIC for the pain they have caused my family and I,” he said.
The Federal Court previously found that Ms Caddick operated her financial services company Maliver without holding an Australian Financial Services licence.
