More than 2500 fraud-related charges against Cobden real estate agent David Steel and his company have been adjourned for further hearing next month.
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Mr Steel is the sole director of Realestate Property Pty Ltd which is in the process of being prosecuted by Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Warrnambool lawyer Kiernan Celestina is representing both Mr Steel and Realestate Property.
The Standard successfully applied for the charges to be made public after the case was mentioned in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court last week.
The charges span from January 2015 to July 2017.
Magistrate Steve Raleigh adjourned further hearing of the case until May 3, for another committal mention.
The charges allege that Mr Steel was the sole director of the company when more than $450,000 was found to be missing from the account of Realestate Property Pty Ltd.
It is also alleged that between February 23, 2015 and May 1, 2017, Mr Steel knowingly failed to deliver or pay rent of $15,419.
He is also accused of withholding $6706 from the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority and failing to pay the Uniting Church of Australia over $7000 for a property he owned.
Realestate Property is also facing an additional seven charges that relate to the payment of nearly $50,000 worth of bills, including a credit card and other personal bills, from the company's trust account.
The case first came to police attention in October 2016.
It is understood that Mr Steel's marriage had broke down before he travelled to Vietnam. During a hearing in March last year, the court was told Mr Steel's whereabouts was unknown. But he appeared in court last week.
The family's five-bedroom Forest Park Road home was sold for $700,000 at auction last December - well under the expected market value.
The 10.5 hectare property includes stables, a swimming pool and stunning landscape views.
On the same day, a townhouse in Cobden, owned by the same interests, was sold for just over $200,000 - also well under the expected market value.
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