The former manager of star singer Guy Sebastian has been granted conditional bail over charges in NSW of fraud totalling more than $1.15 million.
Titus Emanuel Day, 47, was arrested at a Bondi home on Wednesday night and charged by NSW Police on Thursday morning.
Police say last month they received a report of an alleged fraud committed against the 38-year-old Sebastian and later noticed inconsistencies in bank account records and financial documents.
Day was taken to Waverley Police Station and charged with 61 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, and now faces a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.
"Police will allege in court that the man knowingly withheld $1.15 million in earnings from a client between December 2013 and April 2020," NSW Police said in a statement on Thursday.
Day appeared via video link at Waverley Local Court on Thursday.
He was granted a $10,000 conditional bail and instructed to relinquish his passport.
The Nigerian-born Australian citizen - who has no previous criminal history - will next face court on July 21.
Detective Acting Inspector Guy Magee on Thursday said investigations had uncovered a handful of other alleged Day fraud victims.
"He had lawful access to the money, it's a case of he simply failed to forward the amounts at the appropriate times," Insp Magee told reporters.
"It's based on trust and a breach of trust."
Sebastian on Thursday morning said in a statement that the charges against Day were a "sad vindication" of his position amid a years-long dispute with the former manager.
He and Day ended their business relationship in late 2017.
"All my income was controlled via Titus into a Trust account and after noticing some disparities in payments, I requested important financial information that I was rightfully entitled to, and upon doing so our relationship began deteriorating," Sebastian said.
"Over these last years, my integrity and reputation have been questioned, and many untruths have been publicly stated."
Any other people in the entertainment industry who feel they've been victim to the same offences have been urged to contact police.
Australian Associated Press
