A Melbourne couple who mistakenly received $10.4 million from a cryptocurrency company following an administrative bungle in Bulgaria will face trial over allegations they spent the money on items including a $1.2 million house.
Jatinder Singh, 37, and his partner, Thevamanogari Manivel, 40, appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where it was revealed the company, crypto.com, had intended to refund $100 into Manivel’s Australian bank account in May 2021 but mistakenly paid $10.4 million.
A sketch of Thevamanogari Manivel in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.Credit:Nine News
Singh, who held an account with crypto.com, told police he believed he had won the money from the company before his partner – a Malaysian national – was arrested at Melbourne Airport in March with a one-way ticket to the South-East Asian county and $11,000 cash.
Investigations have since found $4 million of the money was allegedly transferred to an offshore bank account with other amounts spent on items including a $1.2 million home in Craigieburn and three other properties, a car, art, furniture and gifts to friends in Melbourne of more than $1 million each.
A Supreme Court civil case has since frozen Manivel’s Australian bank accounts and the assets the pair bought.
Police allege Singh used his partner’s bank account to buy crypto, but when the names on the bank account and his crypto wallet did not match, the $100 transaction was flagged internally and crypto.com intended to return that amount alone to Manivel’s bank account.
A sketch of Jatinder Singh in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.Credit:Nine News
The company’s general manager, Kalash Mohan, said crypto.com first became aware of the mistaken payment in December 2021 after a financial audit in Hong Kong uncovered the error.
He said a subsequent investigation found an employee in Bulgaria had incorrectly entered $10.4 million into an Excel spreadsheet.
Senior Constable Conor Healy said that during a police interview, Singh stated he had won the money from crypto.com.
Once the mistaken funds appeared in Manivel’s account, police allege it was then transferred into a Westpac account the couple jointly held.
Seven months later, Manivel allegedly received a call from the Commonwealth Bank flagging the funds, but she believed it was a scam.
That same day, $2 million was then allegedly transferred into an offshore bank account, the court heard.
Court documents allege Singh, an Indian national, was unemployed and living in Australia illegally at the time of the alleged offending.
Manivel, who works in aged care and disability services, has lived in Australia for the past six years on a student visa. But based on the amount of luggage she had at the airport, police believe she planned to leave and not return.
Her lawyer argued Manivel intended to travel to Malaysia to visit family after learning her son and ex-husband had been arrested for unrelated crimes.
Police say about $7.7 million has since been recovered but more than $2 million remains unaccounted for overseas.
Manivel pleaded not guilty to negligently dealing with property that is the proceeds and suspected proceeds of crime. Singh pleaded not guilty to theft and dealing with property that is the suspected proceeds of crime.
Magistrate Peter Reardon committed the pair to stand trial in the County Court at a later date. He also granted Manivel bail.
Reardon acknowledged the woman had been in custody for more than 200 days, and it was unlikely her trial would start for at least 12 months.
As part of her bail conditions, Manivel must lodge a $10,000 surety from her brother, report to police weekly, live with her daughter in Dandenong and avoid international points of departure.
Singh remains in custody.
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