Zim Director Flees Australia--Faces Allegations of Abusing Millions of NDIS Funds--Tax Evasion and Mounting Debt

Zim Couple Accused of Diverting Millions from Aussie Disability Scheme to Fund Lavish Lifestyle and Businesses Back Home

By Harry Taruva for Kwedu News in Sydney Australia.

Perth, Australia - The story of Adrian Tafari Mtungwazi, 53, and his wife Chiedza Mtungwazi, 45, the Zimbabwean founders of Adachi Disability Services in Perth, Australia, presents a sad narrative of entrepreneurial success rapidly dissolving into accusations of significant financial misconduct.

What began in 2019 as a registered National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider, expanding to employ hundreds and serve dozens of clients, has culminated in a liquidation process revealing massive debts, questionable asset acquisitions and a director's swift departure from Australia.

The account, originally reported by Carla Hildebrandt in the Sydney Morning Herald on September 24, 2025, centers on the Mtungwazis' alleged actions and the impact they've had on creditors and the Australian tax system.

The Mtungwazis established Adachi, which at its peak boasted three Western Australian offices and about 300 staff offering essential daily living support.

Adrian Mtungwazi was even recognised by the Zimbabwe Association of WA, lauded as an inspiration and a proven visionary.

Behind the facade of this thriving enterprise, however, a liquidator's preliminary report from Pitcher Partners, led by Andrew Yeo, suggests a deeply troubling reality.

Yeo's investigation alleges the company was operating while insolvent as far back as August 2022, accumulating millions in debt, primarily to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Alleged Misuse of Funds and Offshore Investments

The core of the allegations against the Zimbabwean couple revolves around the alleged misdirection of company funds.

The liquidator's report claims the directors drew over $2.3 million in "director loans", a classification Ms. Mtungwazi reportedly disputed, suggesting they were salary substitutes.

Far more sensational are the accusations regarding the money's destination. Adachi funds, generated in the Australian disability care sector, were allegedly used to purchase luxury assets and finance ventures far removed from NDIS support.

Specifically, the report highlights the purchase of a Ferrari for their personal use.

Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of dollars were allegedly transferred overseas, including to their home country of Zimbabwe.

Here, the company's money was purportedly used to acquire property in Bulawayo, including the Morningside Shops for $1.3 million and to even establish a local soccer team, Adachi FC.

The extravagant expenditures and international asset acquisitions allegedly occurred while the company was in regulatory trouble from 2021, and accumulating a total debt that now exceeds $6.4 million, including about $450,000 owed to over 80 former employees in unpaid wages and superannuation.

The fallout from the claims has been dramatic with Adrian Mtungwazi leaving Australia in May 2025, citing family reasons, and has reportedly cut off direct communication with liquidators.

The departure took place shortly before the ATO Deputy Commissioner personally escalated efforts to recover over $3 million in unpaid tax and superannuation by suing him in the WA Supreme Court.

While directors are not technically barred from leaving Australia during the liquidation, the ATO noted that orders can be placed on individuals with significant debts to prevent their exit, though it wouldn't confirm if such an order was active for Mr. Mtungwazi.

Chiedza Mtungwazi, however, remains in Perth and is reportedly cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation.

The liquidator's report suggests that if the claims of insolvent trading and misuse of funds are proven following the ongoing investigation, the Mtungwazis could face severe consequences, including hefty financial penalties and potential criminal charges carrying up to five years in jail.