More good Gatto / Opes Prime stuff

From The Age today:

Directors of Opes Prime-linked companies Mr Moghe, Gordon Browne and Raj Maiden had agreed to meet today, Mr Gatto said. The men deny they have, or control, any of the missing funds. Mr Gatto was angry at suggestions Mr Moghe was rushing back to Singapore to fly his wife and children out for their own protection.

"That's not our style," Mr Gatto said. "I haven't spoken to him or anything at this point.

"I've got a reputation to uphold and one of my key points is I don't interfere with women and children. I'm firm on that.

"We've got no intention of doing anything illegal or untoward to anyone."

Mr Gatto said he had planned to make people worried. "We don't mind them being a little bit nervous because they'll be honest and truthful with us, and hopefully we will get a result."

and

"Don't worry about how we are going to get the money. We aren't here for the noodles."

A Gatto update

Following on from my post earlier in the day, this afternoon on the online edition of The Age:

Gatto said the company provided a simple service where ''we go and see the client and we say... 'we really think that you should pay, and it's all done amicably and 9 times out of 10 its settled and the client's happy and we're happy and of course the bloke who owes the money is happy to have that weight of his chest'.''

And who wouldn't want that weight off his chest.

Mediations, Arbitrations and Opes Prime

Possibly one of my favourite stories of all times in today's The Age - and presumably also in the Herald Sun but I haven't checked.

The quote to end all quotes:

Mr Gatto's private company, Arbitrations & Mediations - which he says makes "problems disappear" - has in the past been engaged to deal with feuds on Melbourne construction sites.

Yesterday, Mr Gatto told The Age: "These Opes Prime clients can take their chances and lose all their money to lawyers and to the receivers, or they can take their chances with me to extract a return on their behalf.

"The proof is in the pudding with me. I solve problems … It's my way or the highway".

and later in the article:

Barrister Nicola Gobbo confirmed that Mr Gatto - the man who shot dead underworld hitman Andrew "Benji" Veniamin in 2004 and was later acquitted of murder on the grounds of self-defence - would be travelling overseas to try to track down money and shares related to Opes Prime.

Asked about Mr Gatto's clients, she said: "Some would be described as business people, if you very loosely used the term 'business people'.