Wembley City trader accused of £73m scam ‘stayed in five-star hotels and tipped staff hundreds of pounds’
Luis Nobre is on trial (Pic credit: Central News) - Credit: central news
A City trader from Wembley accused of a £73million scam posed as a multi-millionaire and lived in five-star hotels despite ‘an apparent lack of legitimate income’, a court heard.
Luis Nobre, 49, of Tristan Court in King George Crescent, was allegedly part of a gang of fraudsters who swindled Dutch shipping company Allseas Group Ltd by posing as financiers.
Prosecutor David Durose said: “Following Nobre’s arrest in early December 2011 and subsequent release on bail, he maintained an expensive lifestyle despite his apparent lack of legitimate income.
Jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard Nobre stayed at the five-star Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair between 5 December 2011 and 19 April 2012 and at the exclusive five-star establishments Sofitel, near Buckingham Palace, and The Berkeley Hotel in April and May of 2012.
The year before Nobre allegedly saddled his partner, a wealthy divorcee, with a £130,000 bill from the Landmark Hotel after he fled to Switzerland.
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He had lived at the five-star accommodation with pregnant girlfriend Victoria Weir and was known to tip staff hundreds of pounds at a time, jurors heard.
Solicitor Buddika Kadurugamuaw, 46, helped launder the loot for Nobre to spend even after his arrest for money laundering in 2011, jurors heard.
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Nadeem Khan, 54, was also accused of helping Nobre clean the dirty cash but he died before the start of the trial.
Nobre is the director of Larn Ltd and ERBON Wealth Management Ltd that are registered to exclusive addresses in Harley Street and Marylebone, central London.
He denies one count of acquiring criminal property, five counts of transferring criminal property and three counts of possession of articles for use in fraud.
Kadurugamuwa, from Hendon, denies one count of being concerned in a money laundering arrangement, and one count of transferring criminal property.
The trial continues.
