Denis Hull : Money Launderer?

Whenever anyone, freelance consultants like myself included, working in the UK Financial sector commences work at a financial institution, prior to commencing work they will be required to take training and tests in subjects as health and safety, data protection and such like. The aim is to ensure the consultant is aware how spot when things are going wrong and what to do about them. Once such subject money laundering.

When I met Mohan Sajnani in late April, I enquired how Denis Hull had amassed a fortune that allowed him to own several luxury homes in Sydney as well as across Indonesia. Sajnani's reply was short and to the point: "the flesh trade."

He clearly didn't want to divulge much more than that, but the secret was out. Denis Hull made his fortune in Sydney's Vice Trade.

Australia's approach to the sex is somewhat more open than the UK's. While it is legal in certain parts of Australia to run a brothel, a Daily Telegraph article revealed that 80% of Australia's brothel's are illegally run, suggesting that in the absence of other evidence, the chances are that Denis Hull has been living off the proceeds of crime.

If he has then invested that money into seemingly legitimate businesses that would constitiute money laundering. Sending those proceeds laundered funds abroad would make him an international money launderer.

As we have demonstrated here, Denis Hull boasted of his involvement in Save The Rainforest, a dubious conservation company.

We know that the company was registered in Sydney at the home of his friend Thomas O'Shea, classified as 'builders' and was in fact just a trading name for Percy Burlace's Bali Bintang Properti.

Therefore is it too much of a stretch of the imagination to consider that:

(1) Hull illegally earned money from his activity in the sex trade in Australia?

(2) Invested part of those proceeds in Save The Rainforest's Australian bank account?

(3) Transfered the funds to the Indonesian arm of Save The Rainforest?

(4) Used the funds to establish the Save The Rainforest business, with an office in Sanur, Bali?

(5) Used that business to sell dubious investments in the rainforest to well meaning but naive investors?

(6) Was tempted by the greater returns on offer through Mohan Sajnani's Bali Bio Fuels proposal?

(6) Closed Save The Rainforest in favour of Bali Bio Fuels, leaving investors with no contact details?

(7) Would have completed his laundering with the sale of Bali Bio Fuels in early 2008?

Everyone working in UK Financial Services is obliged to report whenever they suspect instances of money laundering and failure to do so can lead to allegations of acting as an accomplice. This is the reason for this post.