The Australian Securities and Investments Commission reported that the New South Wales Supreme Court has appointed provisional liquidators to 12 companies associated with accountant and former solicitor Christopher Malcolm Edwards. The appointment follows ASIC’s concerns about the companies’ management and affairs and is intended to preserve assets, prevent further investor fundraising and enable an independent investigation ahead of the hearing of ASIC’s winding-up application. The provisional liquidators must report to the Court and ASIC within 10 weeks on the companies’ assets, liabilities and solvency, potential returns to creditors, suspected legal contraventions and transactions requiring further investigation. They must also recommend whether the companies should be returned to their directors, wound up or subject to another course. The Court found significant deficiencies in financial records and accepted that investor payments appeared largely to have been funded by new investments or borrowings rather than company income. The proceeding is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 2, 2026, for directions on ASIC’s winding-up application. ASIC’s investigation into Edwards and associated entities remains ongoing.