Threat to destroy Brynne and me

Geoffrey Edelsten claims a former US business partner threatened to ruin his and wife Brynne's lives. Source: Herald Sun

EXCLUSIVE: ENTREPRENEUR Geoffrey Edelsten has accused a former American business partner of trying to extort $1.5 million from him.

Dr Edelsten and Rafael "Alfie" Mawardi, from Florida, launched bitter countersuits in the US District Court after they fell out over a chain of fashion stores and other businesses they were creating.

In court documents, the 69-year-old said he met Mr Mawardi in 2010 and agreed to invest in his fashion brand, the House of Nurielle.

Brynne Edelsten, 28, who married the doctor in 2009, was to become the public face of the fashion line.

According to court documents, Dr Edelsten went to Florida in September, demanding Mr Mawardi account for the $18 million he claimed he had invested in various business partnerships over two years.

At that point, the relationship turned nasty, with Mr Mawardi allegedly threatening to embarrass the Edelstens.

Dr Edelsten claims in court documents his former partner demanded $1.5 million that was allegedly owed to his son, Isaac.

"The theme was that if I didn't pay the $1.5 million to him, he would destroy me and my wife," he said in his affidavit.

He also said he, Mr Mawardi and Brynne were in a vehicle driving to an airport on September 5.

"It was in the car on the way to the airport that Rafael Mawardi said to Brynne, 'You are a gold digger', and mentioned that he would destroy me and wife Brynne," Dr Edelsten said.

He claims Mr Mawardi said he would try to destroy Brynne's reputation and her reality TV series, which aired in Australia this year.

"He said he would destroy me (and) allegedly that he had information which the media would love and ruin my reputation."

Brynne Edelsten, who describes herself as a former fitness instructor and cocktail waitress, debuted in her reality series, Brynne: My Bedazzled Life, about a rich girl's idle lifestyle.

Mr Mawardi said yesterday from Florida he denied any attempt to extort Dr Edelsten.

"That's what he claims. I don't know what he thinks I did, but I never pretended to (extort him)," he said.

The original US District Court action was a federal case, but it had now been dismissed. Dr Edelsten and Mr Mawardi will fight out their cases in various US states where the deals went bad.

Rafael (''Alfie'') and Limor Mawardi. Mr Mawardi denies any attempt to extort Geoffrey Edelsten. Source: Herald Sun

Dr Edelsten said he had paid Mr Mawardi "many millions of dollars" to partner with him in the fashion brand and a string of other investments, including restaurants, hotels, a casino in the Dominican Republic, and a turboprop jet. He claimed he had received nothing in return.

Mr Mawardi said his ex-partner had been a long-time customer of his exclusive clothing stores.

"Together with his wife, Edelsten repeatedly would buy tens of thousands of dollars of clothing and apparel for himself and his wife during extravagant shopping sprees," a court document for the Mawardi family stated.

It claimed Dr Edelsten was looking for a foothold in the US and agreed to buy half Mr Mawardi's clothing business, for $3 million, which led to Dr Edelsten making other investments in Tennessee, Ohio and the Dominican Republic.

The document said the doctor turned up in the US on September 3 "surrounded by lawyers and accountants who proceeded to aggressively call into question Mr Mawardi's integrity and honesty".

The Mawardi family claim Isaac Mawardi loaned Dr Edelsten $2 million, of which $1.5 million was not repaid.

The Edelsten suit claimed some of the businesses he bought into were never transferred into joint ownership, and there was a pattern of "mismanagement" from Mr Mawardi, who was accused of withdraw operating capital from joint accounts for his family's use.

Brynne Edelsten was to become the public face of the fashion line. Source: Herald Sun

Dr Edelsten claimed he was, for instance, induced to spend $4.4 million on a casino property in the Dominican Republic, which he said was in fact worth less than $1 million.

Nor, according to Dr Edelsten's documents, did he see any returns on an investment in a Florida bar; and there was also a dispute over ownership of the private jet.

Mr Mawardi's lawyers said their clients had been painted as a "band of outlaws" who had stolen from and extorted Dr Edelsten.

Both parties have been ordered to desist from making extortionate threats, and Dr Edelsten and Mr Mawardi may communicate only through their respective counsel.

Dr Edelsten's US-based lawyers declined to comment.

The House of Nurielle site still presented Dr Edelsten and Mr Mawardi as partners, but Mr Mawardi said the cases were going to get "very, very dirty".

Dr Edelsten's manager, John Scott, said the case was ongoing and the couple did not want to comment.

But he said Dr Edelsten was confident all his money would be returned and he had already had success with assets including properties and the jet.

"Unfortunately his dealings with his business partner have not gone well," Mr Scott said.

SOME OF THE DISPUTED ASSETS

* In June or July 2011, Edelsten claims Mawardi asked him to invest in Nurielle, a clothing design and manufacturing company, with various offshoots, which Mawardi claimed was making $2m each year. Edelsten invested $3m, on the basis of what he alleged were falsified books. Edelsten claims the offshoots were operating outside the terms of the joint venture, and profits were going to the Mawardi family

* Claims Edelsten was induced to buy into Casino Playa Chiquita, in the Dominican Republic. He claims Mawardi, the owner, overvalued the casino when soliciting him as a partner

* Edelsten claims Mawardi solicited him to invest in the Scoop Bar & Grill, a company in Orlando, Florida, which owns Tier Nightclub. Edelsten says he did not receive part of the title, or receive dividends

* Dispute over title of Bombadier Challenger 601 jet

* Various properties in Dania Beach and Hollywood, in Florida, under dispute

* Jointly owned property in Dayton, Ohio, under dispute - Riverview Apartments, 685 dwellings

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