Monday 3 October 2022 11:42 PM Crypto trader who bought home with $10.4M wrongly put into account faces ... trends now
A woman who had $10.4million mistakenly transferred into her account in a Crypto.com bungle and kept it has been charged with similar offending.
Daily Mail Australia can finally reveal the face of Thevamanogari Manivel, who police allege not only made off with the money, but was involved in another alleged crime that netted her a further $11,750.
Manivel faces two charges of dealing with the proceeds of crime, which carry maximum penalties in Victoria of 20 years a piece.
Thevamanogari Manivel in Melbourne Magistrates Court on September 27, 2022
Crypto.com mistakenly transferred almost $10.4million to Thevamanogari Manivel
It remains unclear how police claim Manivel allegedly got her hands on the lesser amount, but they have little doubt about how the millions of dollars landed in her Commonwealth Bank account.
Manivel appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday via videolink from her new home within Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
Dressed in a blue prison windcheater, Manivel appeared relatively comfortable, waving enthusiastically to the camera when spoken to.
She had spent her 30th birthday last month locked in a cell after her arrest by Melbourne detectives in March.
Manivel had spent near on a year before that with Crypto's millions in her possession, police allege.
The $10,474,143 mistake was only discovered in a company audit just before last Christmas.
The error happened when Crypto.com intended to give a $100 refund in May 2021, but mistakenly entered an account number in a field meant for the dollar amount when making the bank transfer.
Fraud squad detectives believe Manivel and her co-accused, Jatinder Singh, knew they were not entitled to the money and went about hiding and spending it in the months before they were arrested.
Little is publicly known about Singh's involvement in the alleged crime.
But it is understood he faces similar charges to that of Manivel.
On Tuesday, the court heard Manivel claimed she was duped by Singh into believing the money was hers to deal with as she pleased.
Thilagavathy Gangadory - the sister of Thevamanogari Manivel - allegedly received this home off the back of a massive Crypto.com mistake
The dream home was surrounded by weeds and appeared abandoned earlier this month
Manivel's barrister, Jessica Willard, told the court her client did not know the money might have been stolen.
Singh, whose relationship to Manivel remains unknown, had allegedly told her he had won the $10.4m.
'The whole issue in relation to Ms Manivel is the dishonesty element - whether she knew that the money was stolen or not,' Ms Willard said.
The court heard Manivel had insisted upon her version of events upon her arrest in March, telling police her co-accused had 'won the money'.
Singh had claimed similar when detectives eventually knocked on his door.
'That's also what he says in his record of interview,' Ms Willard said.
Representatives from the Commonwealth Bank allege the couple had been well informed that the money had been transferred by mistake.
Ms Willard will grill a CBA representative next month when the matter returns to court about how its investigation was carried out.
'They say that there was contact along the way to alert her about the funds. CBA is really the crucial witness in regards to Ms Manivel,' she said.
