A former contestant on the Australian version of The X Factor has allegedly been linked to a $250,000 tax scandal involving money laundering and fraud.
As News Corp Australia reports, singer Sophia Constantopedos — who competed in The X Factor in 2011 with the group Three Wishez — allegedly helped move $250,000 stolen from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) through a company she owned.
While Constantopedos hasn’t been charged with any offences, her former boyfriend Daniel Rostankovski was one of seven people charged with defrauding the commonwealth back in May.
Constantopedos has been accused of allowing the $250,000 Rostankovski paid to her company Mermade Holdings to be “disguised” as a repayment for a 2015 loan. The company also reportedly received another “loan repayment” of $35,000 in November 2016.
Mermade Holdings allegedly spent $35,000 of the stolen funds on a boat, while Rostankovski also allegedly purchased his girlfriend an $80,000 Range Rover.
65 people and companies are said to be involved in the scamming syndicate, which allegedly rorted PAYG (Pay-As-You-Go) Tax from thousands of legitimate wage payments into second-tier companies, instead of paying the ATO.
Constantopedos isn’t the only Australian singing show contestant to be caught up in controversy this year, as both former Australian Idol contestants Paulini and Kate DeAraugo are currently facing possible jail time.
