Unlicensed lender banned



A Sydney-sider who made investment recommendations to clients without holding an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) has been banned from providing financial services for eight years.
An investigation carried out by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) found that Dimitri Amargianitakis of Baulkham Hills, a director of Vista Capital Pty Ltd, ran a financial services business without holding an AFSL, and also signed financial statements in circumstances where he knew that they were not accurate.
ASIC revealed that Vista Capital provided mezzanine finance and mortgage lending services, and raised funds for these activities by borrowing mainly from clients connected with the accounting practice Akis & Associates, of which Amargianitakis was a director.
In addition to his eight-year ban, Amargiantiakis, has entered into an enforceable undertaking with ASIC, agreeing not to manage a company for 18 months, and to undertake and pass the Australian Institute of Company Directors' course, or its equivalent, before being reappointed as a director of a company.
Recommended for you
AZ NGA has entered into a strategic partnership with national advice firm MiQ Private Wealth, as a way to provide a succession solution, as well as career development opportunities for staff.
While the advice profession struggles under growing operating costs, Adviser Ratings has found more than half of practices – some 58 per cent – that generate less than $250,000 in revenue report no profit at all.
The Federal Court has ordered the freezing of assets and the appointment of receivers to two entities linked to Australian Fiduciaries, ASIC’s latest move in an ongoing investigation into the company’s managed investment schemes.
Off the back of the August adviser exam results, the profession has seen 17 new entrants hit the Financial Adviser Register (FAR) this week, helping numbers return to positive territory.