Mermaid Beach campaigner Rod Lambert arrested for stalking Ray White Queensland boss

Gold Coast developer Rod Lambert says he will defend himself against charges that he stalked Ray White Queensland chief executive Peter Camphin.

Lambert was arrested over the weekend by Queensland police and charged with stalking Camphin.

Lambert wrote on his website that “two armed detectives” had arrested him following complaints from Camphin “about texts and emails… yet allegations in fraud that add up to tens of millions are essentially ignored”. 

In a letter written to Queensland police minister Neil Roberts following the arrest, Lambert says he has not “laid eyes on [Camphin] for two years”.

Lambert says he also plans to launch a counter-claim against the Queensland police for intimidation.

Since May 2010 Lambert has run an online campaign calling for an investigation into Ray White Broadbeach real estate agent Michael Kollosche in relation to deals on Mermaid Beach.

Earlier in February, Lambert sent a letter to Queensland Police Minister Neil Roberts (a copy of which is posted on his website) accusing Ray White chairman Brian White and Camphin in being complicit in alleged “multi-million dollar property fraud on Mermaid Beach”.

In a statement following Lambert’s arrest Brian White confirmed that he had “commenced legal steps to stop the conduct of Gold Coast ex-agent and property developer David Rodwell Lambert, who has waged a relentless campaign to discredit the Ray White brand for more than two years”.

“Mr Lambert’s original complaint over a commercial transaction in 2008 has been the subject of investigations by the appropriate authorities, i.e., the Queensland Police Service and the Office of Fair Trading,” says White. 

“Ray White has actively participated in and cooperated with these investigations in order to have the matter properly resolved. Additionally, Ray White has also thoroughly investigated the complaints made.” 

White says he is awaiting the conclusion of these investigations so that the company may take any appropriate action.

“We have consciously refrained from taking any action until the proper authorities make their decisions known,” he says. 

“However, Mr Lambert has continually criticised Ray White for failing to take action, on the basis that his complaints are to be accepted as the truth regardless of the findings of the police and the Office of Fair Trading.” 

White says it has come to the point “where we cannot allow Mr Lambert to continue his actions unchallenged. 

“We have always stated we would welcome Mr Lambert bringing his complaint to court, but he has continually refused to commence proceedings. Instead, he has attempted to bring pressure on the Ray White network via the media and most recently, through a campaign of cyber terrorism.” 

A letter sent to Lambert by law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth on behalf of Ray White asks that he notify the firm in writing by 5pm on February 29 that he will shut his website down and give an undertaking not to publish any further material about Ray White.

In January the Queensland Office of Fair Trading confirmed to Property Observer that it continued to investigate of an elaborate price-fixing scam on Mermaid Beach.

Lambert, who personally lost millions on a redevelopment of flats on Albatross Avenue, claims prices in Mermaid Beach had been inflated by “a handful of sophisticated investors using an elaborate scheme involving ‘put and call options’” – a legal way of buying a house then reselling it before settlement.

In October last year former Queensland housing minister Robert Schwarten made a speech in the Queensland Parliament where he accused Kollosche of being involved in dodgy deals on Hedges Avenue in Mermaid Beach.

“Clearly, Mr Kollosche’s association needs to be aired. I hope that this is done by Ray White to clean its good name on the Gold Coast,” reads the Hansard record of Schwarten’s speech.

Kollosche strongly denies any allegations of wrongdoing made against him.

Lambert says he has engaged legal firm Hopgood Ganim to investigate a class action against Ray White “based on the numerous submissions to the website about systemic and misleading training practices”.