Swiss-Based Accountant Fights Australian Tax Investigation

Stephen Harris

30 December 2005

Philip Egglishaw a Swiss-based accountant at the centre of Operation Wickenby, a massive Australian Crime Commission probe into tax avoidance schemes, has hit back at investigators by launching court action hoping to prevent them using information found on his computer. One of the keys to the operation was the mass of client details found on a computer belonging to Mr Egglishaw, a chartered accountant with Swiss firm Strachan's. Mr Egglishaw launched Federal Court proceedings in Melbourne Australia just before Christmas which he hopes will lead the court to bar the Australian authorities from using the information found on the laptop and to force them to return all documents they seized. The investigation, which has cited Australian actor Paul Hogan and entertainment lawyer Michael Brereton, has produced a list of about 500 Australian targets who were allegedly involved in tax avoidance schemes worth up to A$300 million ($220 million). The targets of the investigation include lawyers, accountants, film stars, musicians, sports people, business people and directors of listed companies.