PHOTO: UNIQUE ESTATES: Nicolette van Wijngaarden Photo Christian Morrow / Byron Shire News
THE former director of a failed luxury real estate agency has had many of the allegations against her withdrawn.
But Nicolette van Wijngaarden has pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the fraudulent misuse of more than $3.6 million in the largest case of real estate fraud ever recorded by NSW Fair Trading.
Criminal proceedings against the 44-year-old, the former director of Byron Bay-based Unique Estates, was launched in September 2017.
She originally faced 10 charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and five counts of directors’ liability by offences of corporation.
It’s understood Unique Estates had more than $1.5 million in liabilities, including $933,000 owed to the Australian Tax Office when the company collapsed in February last year, leaving some 35 staff without work.
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