Raggamuffin's McManus and $700k in cash

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on June 27 that "A police investigation to find the owner of a $702,000 bag of cash has revealed that well-known concert promoter Andrew McManus has been avoiding tax, paying footballers under the table, using convicted drug dealers to deliver large sums of cash, withholding funds from bands including Fleetwood Mac and borrowing money from establishment figures such as Michael Kroger and David Lowy."

McManus was in the news in NZ recently with the suggestion that Rotorua was about to lose the annual Raggamuffin Festival to Auckland, after poor turnout from locals in February this year. 

The SMH says that "During his police interview, Mr McManus made extraordinary admissions. The promoter said he had been "under suspicion by the NRL for making player payments to rugby league players".

He was referring to the Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal in which his company was used to channel illegal payments to players ...

Mr McManus also volunteered to the police that he used 20 or 30 crew members to each bring under $10,000 cash when he did concerts in New Zealand. "We'll bring back $150,000 to $200,000 each year … I then sneak that back through the crew," he said.

"This is not going anywhere?" asked Mr McManus, adding: "What I’m saying to you is, if this went to the ATO, I'd be cooked again."

He also said he regularly sold concert tickets to friends and associates and kept the proceeds himself: "I'm not sharing it with the band … the cash stays in Andrew McManus' pocket."

ADDED July 9 2014: McManus recently told the Sunday Herald Sun (July 5) the interview with Police was at a time when “I was on a lot of morphine, I was drinking, and I was not in a good place.” He talks about losing his wife and son, and physical and mental health problems, and financial troubles he was suffering from.

Previous posts: Herbs vs Raggamuffin (March 26 2011), Raggamuffin rumblings (Dec 8 2010),Raggamuffin cancels Aust shows (2012) Ali Campbell owed $ by Raggamuffin (2012)