ASIC obtains court orders against Sydney adviser
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has obtained interim court orders against Sydney financial adviser Gabriel Nakhl.
Nakhl, from Illawong, NSW, provides financial advice via his company SydFA Pty Limited.
The court orders restrain Nakhl from "disposing of, dealing with or otherwise diminishing certain assets, except in limited circumstances", according to an ASIC statement.
ASIC has alleged that Nakhl advised some of his clients to give, or loan, him money so that he could invest it or pay them a fixed return.
"Mr Nakhl gave clients a document to sign for this arrangement initially entitled 'Fixed Interest Security' and later 'Deed of Loan'. In some cases, the clients were advised to use money from their self-managed superannuation funds," said ASIC.
"ASIC is concerned that Mr Nakhl may not have used investors' money solely for the purposes represented to investors, but may have also used it for other purposes," said the regulator.
The case returns to the Supreme Court of New South Wales on 29 April. The regulator is continuing its investigation into Nakhl's conduct.
Recommended for you
As investors increasingly seek to embed ESG considerations in their portfolios, a specialist adviser has offered tips for financial planners who may feel overwhelmed in tackling these complex topics with clients.
Global investment consultancy bfinance is expanding into offering services for wealth managers as they seek advanced investment strategies for their clients.
The majority of advisers are failing to proactively understand their clients’ needs and satisfaction, with just one in four practices formally seeking feedback in the last two years, according to Business Health.
Far too few wealth managers are capitalising on the opportunity presented by disruptive technology to deliver personalised investment solutions to the mass affluent demographic, according to PwC.