Gatto flies out to solve 'sticky' Opes problemStaff...

Gatto flies out to solve 'sticky' Opes problemStaff reporters
April 8, 2008
Melbourne underworld identity Mick Gatto has flown out of Australia on a mission to recoup ''millions'' lost by clients of failed stockbroker Opes Prime.

Speaking on 3AW this morning, Mr Gatto, whose private company Arbitrations & Mediations fixes ''sticky problems'' said he and two associates would go to Singapore and would be ''darting around all different countries'' in an attempt to recover the money.

''A couple of people have approached us and asked us whether we could assist them,'' Mr Gatto said.

''We said we're interested - we're certainly not police, we're not there to uncover any fraud... we just want to recoup the money and do the right thing and ultimately finish with a bit ourselves.''

Earlier, he told The Age, ''These Opes Prime clients can take their chances and lose all their money to lawyers and to the receivers, or they can take their chances with me to extract a return on their behalf.''

It is believed he may also travel to the British Virgin Islands.

Gatto said the company provided a simple service where ''we go and see the client and we say... 'we really think that you should pay, and it's all done amicably and 9 times out of 10 it's settled and the client's happy and we're happy and of course the bloke who owes the money is happy to have that weight of his chest'.''

In the event of a case not being settled, Gatto said clients lose the ''minimal'' upfront fee.