Former trade minister’s ‘wellness’ business owes $1 million to underworld figure

The previous minister within the Abbott and Turnbull governments got here on board to spice up the start-up’s credentials and for his intensive native and worldwide political connections, notably in China.

Mr Robb retired from politics in 2016 to turn out to be a enterprise and political guide, most lately advising the Victorian authorities on its determination to affix China’s controversial Belt and Highway Initiative.

Mr Robb didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Commerce Minister Andrew Robb at Parliament Home in 2015.Credit score:Alex Ellinghausen

Confidential investor paperwork created in late March 2020 present GBA declared the existence of a $1 million debt to an organization managed and owned by Mr Constitution, CSC1957 Investments Pty Ltd.

The mortgage is interest-free and may be transformed to shares at Mr Constitution’s discretion at a considerably decreased value to different potential shareholders.

“I’ve by no means met any Andrew Robb,” Mr Constitution mentioned. “That mortgage was with my brother which he assigned from that firm when he resigned as director.”

Mr Constitution took management of CSC1957 Investments from his brother Craig per week earlier than GBA’s investor doc was issued.

The brothers – working via a community of interlinked corporations – have lengthy been concerned in making short-term loans to cash-strapped companies which are charged rates of interest of as much as 10 per cent per week.

Whereas being grilled beneath oath within the Federal Courtroom in 2015 about their enterprise relationship in a separate matter, Mr Constitution testified: “I get Craig to take care of the executive aspect as a result of he’s much more structured. I’m extra the concepts man.” In that case, the brothers had used CSC1957 Investments to buy and lease again the house of underworld determine Tom Karas as an funding.

GBA director Brett Greene mentioned Craig Constitution “is an upstanding businessman” and the entity “had nothing to do with Shane Constitution”.

(From left) Former Richmond participant Jake King, Shane Constitution and underworld determine Toby Mitchell. Credit score:Instagram

“At no time has the convertible word been owned by anybody aside from Craig Constitution whom is only a lender and has had no different involvement within the enterprise in any way.”

Company information present Craig Constitution can be a shareholder in GBA via one other firm he used to run with Melbourne property developer Christopher Pinzone. Mr Pinzone was charged with corruption by Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Fee in 2019 following an investigation into alleged misconduct involving the Ipswich council.

Mr Greene maintained the mortgage to GBA was nonetheless held by Craig Constitution, regardless of the prospectus given to traders figuring out the lender as an organization managed by Shane Constitution.

“We don’t do an organization search on each investor or lender’s entity after the preliminary transaction and at no time did we all know that the CSC1957 entity shareholders or administrators had modified,” Mr Greene mentioned.

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“The inference you’re making that we all know the enterprise dealings between the brothers will not be true. We aren’t conscious that they’re linked in enterprise in any manner. It’s slanderous and defamatory to deduce so.”

GBA is the second well being and wellness start-up the place Mr Robb has served as an organization director that has been funded by cash linked to the Constitution brothers.

Mr Greene had beforehand bought dietary supplements companies Ageless Merchandise and Ageless Herbals from an entity linked to Shane Constitution. Craig Constitution additionally lent cash to that enterprise, which was secured by Mr Greene’s private belongings. Mr Robb was later listed as a director of Ageless Merchandise Pty Ltd from 2016 to 2019.

Mr Constitution is nicknamed “Dr Ageless” due to the community of anti-ageing clinics he as soon as ran that disbursed human progress hormone and peptides to wealthy clients, athletes and underworld figures.

The previous weightlifter got here to prominence in 2013 after it was revealed he was the biochemist accountable for sourcing a few of the “dietary supplements” utilized by the Essendon Soccer Membership in its controversial doping program.

The 57-year-old, who’s a detailed affiliate of Mongols bikie determine Toby Mitchell, is understood for moving into generally violent disputes as a part of his cash lending and debt assortment companies.

One enterprise included backing a syndicate of underworld-linked identities to purchase a waste facility in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, which led to a gathering between Mr Constitution and gangland determine Fedele “Freddy the Bear” D’Amico erupt into a wild brawl inside a Hungry Jack’s. That mortgage was underwritten by considered one of his brother’s money-lending corporations.

Shane Constitution and Fedele D’Amico

In 2018, Constitution’s spouse was threatened with a knife throughout a violent dwelling invasion in a separate dispute over management of the tip.

Since leaving Parliament in early 2016, Mr Robb has leveraged his intensive political community to affix a number of outstanding companies, together with serving a stint on the board of the Ten Community and a pastoral and grazing operation owned by mining magnate Gina Rinehart and a Chinese language funding group.

He was additionally the recipient of an $880,000-a-year consulting contract with an organization carefully linked to the Chinese language authorities that didn’t require him to undertake any work in return for the price. The association has since ended.

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