Cronulla benefactor's parents charged over insurance claim
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday June 20, 2009
CLINT ELFORD'S parents have been dragged into his alleged life insurance fraud, reportedly worth millions of dollars, after they presented separately to Goulburn Police Station.His mother, Lesley Elford, 52, was charged with money laundering early yesterday two days after a Sydney court heard Elford had paid her $150,000 of the money he made from allegedly claiming to have a degenerative nerve disorder that triggered the payment of a $525,000 life insurance policy.Late in the afternoon his father, 58, was charged with recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime. On Wednesday, Goulburn police said it was too early to decide whether third parties might become involved in the investigation, which came to a head after Clint Elford made public his plans to make the Cronulla Sharks the beneficiary of $30,000 from his first life insurance payment and $13.8 million from other policies."We'll just say this is not a Robin Hood one," a Goulburn detective said. "It's not rob from the rich and give to the poor. Let's put it that way."Goulburn detectives interviewed Lesley Elford at 9am yesterday. She was charged with money laundering and later released on strict conditional bail before a court appearance on July 15. Her husband attended the station at 3.50pm yesterday, where he was arrested and later interviewed by detectives. He was also granted strict bail conditions, to appear at Goulburn Local Court on July 15.Detective Sergeant Matt Woods said the charges were part of an ongoing nvestigation into the pair's 27-year-old son, who still lives at home. Clint Elford was arrested on Tuesday over a $525,000 insurance payout he received in February.He was accused of attempting to mount a further fraud for $1.5 million. Mr Elford, who says he is terminally ill, failed to raise bail on Wednesday after Sutherland Magistrates Court was told he had spent the $525,000.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
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