DETAILS have emerged of a “deliberate and calculated fraud” against Silversea Cruises in Australia, allegedly perpetrated by a former employee over a four year period from 2014.
A criminal case against Mary Ann Abellanoza has seen her charged with almost 100 fraud offences, including “deliberately obtaining a financial advantage by deception” and “dealing with the proceeds of crime”.
There’s also a separate civil case brought by the cruise company which is seeking to recover money taken under the scam.
Silversea says Abellanoza dishonestly misapproporiated a total of $3,565,862 to bank accounts of which she and/or her husband were beneficiaries.
Evidence presented in the NSW Supreme Court by Silversea VP Corporate Accounting and Tax, Jose Santos, noted that after Abellanoza resigned in Apr 2018 forensic experts were appointed to examine the company’s books.
Large quantities of documents that Abellanoza had placed in the shredding bin of Silversea’s Sydney office were found to contain numerous copies of unopened supplier invoices and statements, and documents indicating that she had used a separate accounting package to allegedly create fake invoices.
Payments to a purported “ATO Direct Credit Account” were also actually directed to her own NAB bank account, testimony detailed.
Silversea is also seeking recovery of some of the money from her husband, but a ruling currently subject to appeal by the cruise line accepted his explanation that he believed his wife when she claimed the windfalls were due to gambling.
The criminal case against Mary Ann Abellanoza returns to the Downing Centre court on 23 May.
Source: traveldaily