David Prince-Popovich, 25, registered as a lobbyist in Tasmania under the business name "PP Group Agencies," despite having fraud-related convictions.
In 2023, Mr. Prince-Popovich was convicted in the New South Wales Downing Centre local court on charges including dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception, using a false document to gain a financial advantage, and publishing false and misleading material to obtain an advantage. He received a community corrections order and was ordered to pay $5,000 in compensation.
Tasmania's lobby code of conduct, managed by the Integrity Commission, prohibits individuals convicted of dishonesty offenses as an adult within the last 10 years from registering as lobbyists.
Chief Commissioner Robert Hay KC stated that lobbyists are required to sign a statutory declaration confirming the truthfulness of their information, with false declarations potentially leading to perjury charges. The Integrity Commission's CEO has requested information from Mr. Prince-Popovich regarding his registration before considering de-registration.
On the Integrity Commission's website, Mr. Prince-Popovich's clients were listed as medicinal cannabis company Tasmanian Botanics and transport company OOCL. Craig Knight, CEO of Tasmanian Botanics, denied any engagement with Mr. Prince-Popovich or PP Group Agencies, stating the company was unaware of being listed and has since had its name removed. OOCL was contacted for comment.
The Tasmanian government has confirmed that Mr. Prince-Popovich has not conducted any meetings with ministers in the past 12 months.