An Australian property developer facing trial over property fraud and embezzlement charges could get three and a half years behind bars if judges go with Bali prosecutors’ recommendations.
Eric Bevan Gillet, used “trickery” and “lies” when he sold luxury villas from his plan for a multimillion-dollar Seminyak villa complex, Xanadu Lifestyle Resort, Bali prosecutors said.
The 48-year-old was arrested back in February for allegedly scamming Rp 6.7 billion out of Tomy Comerford and Ketut Semadi in 2013.
Comeford had become concerned about the ten villas that he and Semadi purchased from Gillet when the Australian told him the villa designs changed for a second time, prosecutors said. And to make matters worse, Gillet was allegedly unable to present copies of the land certificate and development license when Semadi and Comeford requested the documents after transferring more than Rp 6.7 billion into his account. Semadi and Comeford asked for their money back, but Gillet was not on board with that.
“There is no justification or reason (for what he has done) and the defendant must be held responsible,” Prosecutor Purwanta Sudarmaji said in Denpasar on Tuesday, as quoted by AAP.
“We request the judges state the defendant has been proven officially and convincingly guilty for the crime of fraud, with the intention of benefiting himself … with trickery and a series of lies.”
Gillet’s trial was set to pick up again today, reports said.
