Former WealthSure adviser facing fraud charges
A former WealthSure financial adviser has appeared in court facing 22 fraud charges brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Brian William Veitch, formerly of Minto, New South Wales, has appeared before the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney to answer 21 counts of obtaining money by false and misleading statements, as well as one count of attempted use of a false instrument.
Veitch was an authorised representative of WealthSure Pty Ltd from 14 December 2005 to 23 February 2010.
ASIC alleged that between 23 October 2008 and 5 February 2010 Veitch fraudulently transferred around $500,000 from seven clients' accounts without their knowledge or authority for his own purposes.
The regulator also alleged Veitch provided a client with a false portfolio, leading the client to believe that $300,000 was still in their account when that was not the case.
Veitch has been granted conditional bail. The matter will resume in the Downing Centre Local Court on 6 November 2012.
The matter is being prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
Recommended for you
Proper recordkeeping has been described as the “mortar between the bricks” of the advice process and critical to an FSCP decision as an adviser is suspended for failures in this area.
There could be changes ahead for how ASIC requires licensees to handle conflicts of interest as the corporate regulator announces it will be meeting key stakeholders next year to update guidance.
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.
