PlayUp-Mintas Legal Battle: Court Investigates Suspected Evidence Tampering
Unexpected Development in PlayUp and Laila Mintas Legal Dispute
The ongoing legal conflict between former PlayUp US CEO Dr. Laila Mintas and the Australian gambling company took a surprising twist recently. A federal court in Nevada has ordered a forensic examination of digital records belonging to PlayUp Global CEO Daniel Simic amid allegations of intentional evidence tampering. This scrutiny could shift momentum in favor of Mintas.
Significant Counterclaims by Mintas
On July 18, Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe issued the court order following growing concerns about Simic’s non-compliance with discovery directives and inconsistencies in critical court-submitted documents. The judge expressed serious doubts about the accuracy of Simic’s statements and criticized the inconsistent explanations offered by him and his legal team.
The lawsuit revolves around Mintas’s involvement during PlayUp’s discussions to acquire crypto exchange FTX. Mintas has consistently denied responsibility for the collapse of the $450 million agreement, despite PlayUp’s accusations blaming her. While previous court rulings dismissed claims against Mintas, her substantial counterclaims against PlayUp remain active.
Mintas has filed accusations against PlayUp including defamation, breach of contract, and bad faith conduct. She aims to reclaim her 11% ownership stake as outlined in her original contract, noting her $1.2 million personal investment into the company. Mintas maintains that she exceeded all contract obligations by facilitating several lucrative market partnerships during her leadership.
Potential Consequences of Alleged Evidence Manipulation
The suspected misconduct by Simic may provide Mintas a critical advantage. A key piece of evidence under dispute is document SIMIC000004 from a meeting. Simic submitted a PDF version, while Mintas produced a different copy acquired from board member Michael Costa, who claims his is the authentic, unaltered original. The discrepancies between versions have drawn the court’s intense examination.
Judge Koppe pointed out Simic’s repeated failure to provide the original file, as well as the contradictory and confusing explanations from his team. Such actions appear designed to conceal intentional changes to legal evidence for self-benefit. Consequently, the judge labeled Simic’s conduct as bad faith and mandated a forensic probe.
“It is undisputed that Simic failed to timely provide discovery in response to the discovery request and… has displayed many different types of behavior that warrant a forensic examination.”
Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe
As part of the investigation, Simic is required to hand over all relevant communication devices and online correspondences to an independent forensic expert. The examination will determine if any data manipulation occurred, potentially resulting in court penalties. A confirmed case of evidence tampering could extend far beyond this lawsuit, potentially damaging PlayUp’s reputation and provoking serious concerns about the integrity of its leadership.