ASIC have obtained Federal Court orders to halt business at Melbourne-based mortgage lender associated with former rugby international Trevor Leota.
Remedy Housing is described by ASIC as an unlicensed lender, and has charged it with trading without a licence, engaging in misleading conduct, making false or misleading representations, false or materially misleading information when engaging in a credit activity and obtaining property and financial advantage by deception.
The company have been barred from operating a website, carrying on a business or promoting a business. It is alleged that potential customers deposited north of $1.4m in Remedy’s bank account in an 18-month period from November 2019 to March 2021.
One of the defendants named is Trevor Leota, a former Samoan international rugby player and a former teammate of Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen.
He was outed on A Current Affair three weeks ago, with families within the Pacific Islander community claimed that he had used his status as a sporting legend to promote his business, which is now under investigation.
According to Remedy Homes website, they offer “deposit as little as $10,000”, “interest free mortgage”, “no credit checks” and “any established home in Australia or NZ”.
Leota is pictured in his Samoa jersey on the website, next to a testimonial that reads:
“It’s possible, it’s necessary, it’s you. Embrace change. I am widely recognised as one of the hardest tacklers in the game. Now I am tackling the harder issues with housing in New Zealand & Australia. I was brought up with nothing & now it is my time to give back to the people! Starting with our younger generation”
The former Rugby star is named alongside Mahmoud Khodr and Brent Smith as defendants, with ASIC identifying Smith and Khodr as director and secretary, with Leota’s role unspecified.
