Dalliston Dias and his company Level Up Decorators Ltd were repeatedly hauled before the Disputes Tribunal over recent years over substandard or incomplete work.
The Otago Daily Times spoke to a string of former clients who were pursuing the man for the debts he owed, and revealed Immigration New Zealand had launched a probe into allegations of migrant exploitation and people trafficking.
With the net closing, Dias returned to Brazil in February.
A source told the ODT if he came back to New Zealand he would be stopped at the border.
Yesterday in the High Court at Dunedin, the registrar called the name of Level Up to appear for a liquidation hearing brought by business loans firm Bizcap NZ Ltd.
Justice Rob Osborne released a copy of the statement of claim, which uncovered further details of the case.
Level Up entered into a loan agreement with Bizcap in January 2024.
In November last year, the company served a statutory demand for the debt, which amounted to $54,470, at the firm’s registered office in Mosgiel.
‘‘The defendant company is insolvent and unable to pay its debts,’’ Bizcap’s statement of claim said.
Justice Osborne made an order for liquidation of Level Up and appointed Lynda Smart and Derek Ah Sam as liquidators.
He also awarded costs of $2868 to Bizcap and disbursements of $1450.
Former clients of Dias spoke of the frustrations over their prolonged battles to hold the Brazilian accountable for his shoddy work.
One woman, whom the Disputes Tribunal awarded $14,145 in December to cover the work on her home, which was ‘‘significantly below acceptable professional standards’’, was devastated the decorator could simply run from his debts.
‘‘He’s a professional con man. And he’s allowed to get away with it,’’ she said.
