Lying to regulator costs licensee $3000

By James Atkinson

A Melbourne licensee has been fined $3000 for lying to Victoria's liquor regulator in an application to transfer a pub's licence into his name.

The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) last week heard that in September 2011, Simon Milutin submitted an application to transfer the liquor licence of the Marquis of Lorne in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

The questionnaire required Milutin to state whether he had ever been convicted or found guilty of any offences in Australia or overseas. Milutin answered 'no' to these questions.

It transpired that Milutin was previously known as Sadri Sinani, but he changed his name in May 1998.

Milutin had a number of undisclosed convictions recorded against him during in the period from June 1993 to April 2001.

In November last year, the Commission determined to conduct an inquiry on the basis that Milutin had procured a transfer of licence by fraud or false representations.

Milutin admitted to the Commission that he did not disclose his convictions in his application to transfer the liquor licence for the Marquis of Lorne.

"The Commission accepts the licensee's statement that he did not defraud the Commission for the purposes of obtaining the licence, but nonetheless, the Commission finds a false representation was made," said Acting Chairman, Gail Owen.

"The Commission views this seriously, particularly as the licensee declared that the contents of the questionnaire were true and correct."

The Commission fined Milutin $3000. He could not be contacted for comment.