On Friday, August 23, 2024, Ben Jayaweera, a former financial advisor and director of Growth Plus Financial Group Pty Ltd (now in liquidation), was convicted on 28 counts of fraud under section 408C(1)(e) of the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld).
The fraudulent activities occurred between August 2013 and November 2015, causing a financial loss of $5,958,870 to 12 of Mr. Jayaweera’s former clients.
Following a three-week retrial in the Brisbane District Court, a jury returned a guilty verdict on all 28 charges.
The case was prosecuted by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) after an investigation and referral by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Mr. Jayaweera has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, August 26, 2024.
Previously, on October 17, 2019, Mr. Jayaweera was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with a minimum of six years to be served before being eligible for parole. However, he appealed the conviction and sentence on November 12, 2019, in the Queensland Court of Appeal. On June 10, 2022, the court allowed the appeal and ordered a retrial.