The Spotlight Group who snared Harris Scarf from the liquidators and were then accused of trying to “screw” appliance and consumer electronic suppliers has again found themselves in the spotlight this time for unpaid printing bills.
Spotlight Director Morry Fraid right with Ruslan Kogan left at Young Jewish Professionals event.
Back in April, department store chain Harris Scarfe was sold to Spotlight Group, leaving unsecured creditors in the lurch for millions, now the new owner is set to face fresh legal action over several unpaid bills amounting to over $1.3M.
The liquidator for the collapsed printing company Waratah Group whose owners and directors include former Carlton premiership captain Stephen Kernahan and teammate Craig Bradley, has left behind a messy tangle of more than 1300 invoices for work totaling about $4.5 million.
Now liquidator Shane Deane, of insolvency firm Dye & Co, is preparing to launch legal action to recover debts he says are owed for work completed ahead of Waratah’s collapse.
Among the biggest disputed bills is $1.13 million of invoices issued to Spotlight, which operates the Spotlight and Anaconda stores.
The retailer has told Dye & Co it does not owe the money as the debt was cancelled out by debts Waratah owes it. The retailer has not identified what those debts relate to.
Mr Deane said his investigations showed those debts were owed by businesses outside the Waratah group of companies.
“We are very confident in our legal position and will be taking legal action on this account and several others,” he said. Spotlight declined to comment on the matter.
The Spotlight Group whose shareholders are linked with Kogan acquired Harris Scarf back in May.
