Qld 'fraud' duo to defend charges

Former Queensland detective Mick Featherstone's partner and an associate intend to defend fraud allegations, their lawyer says.

The partner and an associate of former Queensland detective Mick Featherstone will "strenuously" defend charges of fraud and money laundering levelled at them following a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation.

Mr Featherstone's partner Zoei Charissa Keong, 32, and Travis Charles Burch, 35, were no-shows at the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where they had been due to appear for a mention of their charges.

It's alleged they were involved in an investment scam in which investors in a company named Tropical Point collectively lost more than $700,000.

According to defence lawyer Chris Hannay, Keong and Burch are alleged to have been involved in withdrawing large amounts of cash from banks on behalf of an organisation purporting to be an investment brokerage.

"At this particular point we tend to believe that my clients at this stage have just been used as pawns in something that they were not aware of," Mr Hannay told reporters outside court.

"On the information we've got at the moment it's not a very strong case from the prosecution's point of view."

"our clients have been systematically denying any fraudulent involvement in this scam."

The case was adjourned until June 29, when Mr Hannay said he hoped to receive the full brief of evidence.

"We'll defend the charges as strenuously as we possibly can," he said.

The charges follow the CCC's investigation of a number of Gold Coast companies allegedly involved in cold-calling people about investment schemes.


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Source: AAP


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