Australian Securities & Investments Commission permanently bans former private lender director Andrew John Spira after fraud conviction

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has permanently banned Andrew John Spira, a former director of private credit lenders Skyecap Pty Ltd and Pineapple Funding Pty Ltd, from the financial services and credit industries following his fraud conviction. The ban prevents him from providing financial services or engaging in credit activities, controlling an entity that carries on a financial services business or engages in credit activities, or performing any function involved in carrying on such activities, and took effect on 19 November 2025. Mr Spira was convicted in the Northern Territory Local Court on 17 November 2023 of numerous offences including dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception, and was sentenced to an 18-month good behaviour order and ordered to pay restitution. ASIC noted he was arrested in May 2023 after attempting to leave Australia on a false UK passport, attempting to pay for chartered flights using stolen credit card details, and making false declarations in an Australian passport application; ASIC cited its powers under the Corporations Act and the National Consumer Credit Protection Act to permanently ban people convicted of fraud. Mr Spira can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal to seek review of ASIC’s decision.