Bikie-connected construction boss George Alex secures bail as business ‘jigsaw puzzle’ revealed

Even as a declared bankrupt the construction boss has allegedly directed businesses, using a wide network of people to “run companies on his behalf … from a paper perspective,” a court heard on Friday.

It was these networks and more that allegedly made up the “jigsaw puzzle” of offending at the centre of a criminal syndicate linked to a $17.5 million tax fraud, crown prosecutor Raelene Sharp said.

Mr Alex stands charged as the alleged ringleader of the operation.

On Friday he was granted bail at Central Local Court, appearing via video from Silverwater jail, where he has been held since his arrest on the Gold Coast last month.

The court heard concerns of flight risk and interference with witnesses as reasons to oppose bail, as well as concerns for Mr Alex’s mental and physical health as reasons for his release.

Magistrate Margaret Quinn ultimately decided strict bail conditions in the form of effective house arrest could mitigate such risks, but added that “every person, every taxpayer,” was a potential victim of the alleged syndicate.

She acknowledged almost two years of police surveillance made for a strong circumstantial case against Mr Alex, citing findings from the 2015 Trade Union Royal Commission that he has “used other persons as directors of companies … and that he can exercise control over these businesses”.

Read the rest of the story here: Sydney Morning Herald

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