Peter Margin’s January retirement from Bega may not coincide...

Peter Margin’s January retirement from Bega may not coincide with increased responsibilities at Costa where he remains and he wass not (I don’t think) instated at Beechworth by Christmas as the AFR story predicted he would be, but the story below does highlight possible connections between Bega, Costa and Beechworth Honey which accused Capilano of selling adulterated honey in September last year and which is responsible for ensuring pollination of Costa’s Australian crops .
Costa funded the research ‘proving’ the honey was adulterated
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09...arkets-accused-of-selling-fake-honey/10187628
Here’s the story linking Bega, Costa and Beechworth :

“ Bega, Costa adviser David Williams lays another honey trap
JOE ASTON SEPTEMBER 13, 2018


There is a rather delicious irony at the bitterness currently emanating from Australia's not-so-sickly sweet honey industry.

Listed apiarist Capilano stands accused of peddling "fake honey" by a joint Fairfax and 7:30 investigation (Four Corners was busy digesting new research by Hezbollah proving links between commercial broadcasting and pederasty).

The whole kerfuffle was first pollinated by a lab in Germany declaring Capilano's Allowrie honey "adulterated". And what inspired Quality Services International of Bremen to squeeze a few bottles of the gluey nostrum into their machines? Money, of course, from law firm King & Wood Mallesons.

But who was Mallesons acting for in this instance? Just about everyone, including the consortium led by Kevin Rudd's son-in-law Albert Tsewhose bid to take Capilano private was agreed to on August 13 (we must be getting old; in my day, you didn't have to ask your M&A lawyers if they were concurrently working for the other side). But also for "horticulturalist" Robert Costa, if by horticulturalist you mean member of a $655 million fruit and vegetable family.

https://www.copyright link/content/....afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1536815017909.jpg
Robert Costa, fruit and veg magnate now taking on Capilano and other "honey fraudsters".
The very day the joint investigation was first published and broadcast, Jodie Goldsworthy, star talent in the coverage and a director of Capilano's competitor Beechworth Honey, wrote to her fellow Aussie beekeepers to advise them that Mallesons (on her and Costa's instructions) had already briefed the ACCC and federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.Note that Costa and Beechworth have an existing commercial relationship, with the latter paid to supply the former with hives for pollination. So Beechworth provided the soundbites, Costa paid for the testing and together they briefed the regulator and the government.

And two days later, on September 5, fellow sandwich filler Bega advised the market it had been creeping up the Capilano register since May 24, using related party Amore Foods as its proxy. Proxies within proxies! Because who is Amore? None other than the greasiest dealmaker in agribusiness, David Williams. Remember Select Harvests? Williams had "no rights or interest" in the shares "other than holding the bare legal title to them as nominee for [Bega]". Of course "there was no written agreement between Amore and [Bega]." All just verbal, see! Rod Sims is worried about what's inside the bottle? Anyone thought of fingerprinting the thing?

Bega describes Williams as its "longstanding corporate adviser", but Williams is also an adviser to Costa, the very mob who paid for the research that declared Capilano's honey dodgy.

And better still, former Goodman Fielder CEO Peter Margin sits on the board of Costa and of Bega, the fruiterer and fromager whose sudden interest in Capilano is a coincidence vastly purer than its product. Dead-set extraordinary! He'll be a Beechworth director by Christmas, and nobody will bat an eyelid.”


Bega, Costa adviser David Williams lays another honey trap
13 Sep 2018 · And better still, former Goodman Fielder CEO Peter Margin sits on the board of Costa and of Bega, the fruiterer and fromager whose sudden interest in Capilano is a coincidence



A reminder that, several weeks later, Bega retired from the fray.

Capilano Honey battle over as Bega opts to sell its stake - Financial Review
7 Nov 2018 · The sting is out of the battle for Capilano Honey with Bega Cheese abandoning any plans it had to launch a takeover to rival one supported by Rich Lister Kerry Stokes. Bega said on Wednesday it would take the cash on offer from Albert Tse's Wattle Hill and Roc Partners Investment ...