By JOSIE CLARKE consumer reporter
Three Surf Dive'N Ski stores are in receivership after the disappearance of flamboyant Gold Coast owner Lakhmi Daswani and the collapse of his empire.
The two stores in Auckland and one at Whangaparaoa closed on Wednesday last week, leaving about 30 staff without their last wages payment.
The
Australian Securities and Investments Commission said yesterday that it was still trying to track down Mr Daswani.
He left Australia on October 1 as his retail and property empire collapsed with debts of more than $50 million.
Mr Daswani bought the three New Zealand stores, which sold clothing and sports equipment, in July.
A receiver from Ferrier Hodgson's Auckland office, Brendon Gibson, said his job had been made more complicated because all the books and records, held in Australia, had gone missing.
A number of buyers had already expressed interest in the name and the business.
"But we've got to work out exactly what stock we can sell before we go that next step," Mr Gibson said.
He expected that the fate of the three stores would be decided by today.
Customers could still collect any goods bought on layby.
The Australian Financial Review reported that Mr Daswani fled the country the same day as the ANZ Bank appointed administrators to his chain of 15 surfwear stores in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
A provisional liquidator and two separate administrators have been appointed to at least 14 other companies controlled by Mr Daswani.
The newspaper said Mr Daswani had claimed that selling a $US1.1 million ($2.7 million) watch and dealing with the likes of the Sultan of Brunei and Donald Trump were among his greatest achievements.
The securities commission had been investigating him at least a month before he left Australia.
It has contacted the FBI and other international authorities for help in tracking him down.
