{"id":454394,"date":"2026-02-02T21:53:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/454394\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T21:53:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:53:11","slug":"ma-services-security-firm-boss-micky-ahuja-moves-to-dubai-amid-probe-into-loan-millions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/454394\/","title":{"rendered":"MA Services security firm boss Micky Ahuja moves to Dubai amid probe into loan millions"},"content":{"rendered":"

February 3, 2026 \u2014 5:00am<\/p>\n

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The chief executive of Australian security giant MA Services has moved to Dubai as corporate investigators pursue millions of dollars in loans he took from the firm prior to its collapse amid revelations of its links to bikies<\/a>, as well as tax evasion<\/a>, sex harassment<\/a> and systemic worker exploitation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Along with MA\u2019s still growing tax debt of $19 million, administrators are chasing almost $13 million in loans from the firm prior to its collapse before Christmas, including at least $4.8 million lent to founder Micky Ahuja\u2019s personal accounts.<\/p>\n

\"MickyMicky and Sasha Ahuja.<\/p>\n

Preliminary inquiries by administrator Jason Tracy of Alvarez and Marsal have also identified at least $20 million owing in superannuation and entitlements to some of the thousands of security guards who worked for MA Services around Australia. Ahuja is suspected of potentially breaching \u201chis statutory duty not to trade whilst insolvent\u201d, which warranted further investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the quantum of employees who have outstanding entitlements, we have been working to ensure employees are able to lodge claims and access information with respect to amounts owed to them as soon as possible,\u201d Tracy said in a report to creditors obtained by this masthead.<\/p>\n

Prior to his company\u2019s collapse, Ahuja lived a lavish lifestyle that included driving a Rolls-Royce 4WD, two Mercedes G-Wagons and a Lamborghini Urus; he took luxury holidays; and made property acquisitions.<\/p>\n

Company insiders also told this masthead the actual amount in unpaid wages and superannuation owed to the firm\u2019s largely migrant workforce and the Tax Office is likely to be far higher, given MA used a network of front companies to operate and disguise the suspected underpayment of staff and rorting of the Tax Office.<\/p>\n

Editor’s pick\"Tim<\/a><\/p>\n

Over the past month, this masthead has been contacted by more than a dozen security guards who say they were underpaid for years. Even though they wore the distinctive MA uniform while working for the firm\u2019s clients \u2013 which include Coles, Amazon, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet \u2013 they were actually employed and paid via a network of front companies that had no formal legal relationship with MA.<\/p>\n

The MA Services story has emerged as a shocking and still unfolding tale of corporate greed and questions of governance failures. The latter extends beyond the once darling of Australia\u2019s security sector to some of the firm\u2019s blue chip corporate, sporting and government clients.<\/p>\n

Companies including Coles and Kmart, several AFL clubs and the Department of Home Affairs have faced questions about whether they missed red flags suggesting the firm Ahuja built into one of Australia\u2019s biggest security providers was engaged in worker exploitation and tax rorting.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Ahuja, whom this masthead has confirmed has moved to Dubai, has sought to publicly minimise the scandal, releasing a series of press releases and advertorials over the past week proclaiming himself as one of Australia\u2019s greatest emerging entrepreneurs and founders.<\/p>\n

When asked by this masthead about the allegations dogging Ahuja and his firm, his wife, Sasha Ahuja, declined to comment on his behalf while describing the claims of wrongdoing as \u201cfalse, unjust, and deeply damaging to his reputation, livelihood, and family\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"AA fleet of luxury cars outside the mansion of Micky Ahuja.<\/p>\n

\u201cMicky spent more than 15 years building a workforce-intensive organisation and took on risks that many founders choose not to,\u201d she wrote in a lengthy text message that sought to shift responsibility for MA\u2019s woes away from her husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn large workforce environments, when … businesses \u2026 employ hundreds or thousands of people across multiple sites, shifts, and jurisdictions, no founder can realistically control every individual\u2019s past or every conduct, even where licences, checks, and systems are in place \u2013 yet that complexity is often overlooked.<\/p>\n

\u201cStaying anchored in the past would take away his ability to build a future. He needs space to focus forward, not revisit what has already taken so much from him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Micky Ahuja may not have that option: administrator Tracy is now pursuing him to recover funds from a series of suspect transactions and moving to liquidate the firm, having sacked several thousand employees just prior to Christmas.<\/p>\n

\"MAMA Services Group boss Micky Ahuja\u2019s company was until recently a major sponsor of the Melbourne Demons.<\/p>\n

In a report to creditors, Tracy said he was recommending the firm be dissolved because it was insolvent. MA\u2019s inability to pay its debts was triggered by a Tax Office investigation determining the security firm had failed to remit millions in GST, but Tracy also said in his report that this masthead\u2019s series revealing wrongdoing at MA had sparked the company\u2019s demise.<\/p>\n

Tracy said he would pursue \u201cfurther action\u201d against Ahuja to recover loans of $4,791,987 that \u201carose as a result of the company paying the director\u2019s [Ahuja\u2019s] personal expenses or the director\u2019s drawings\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have issued a demand to the director for repayment of the loan. As at the date of this report, the director has not responded to our demand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Editor’s pick\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

If Ahuja fails to repay the funds, he could be declared bankrupt or have his portfolio of properties across Melbourne seized and sold.<\/p>\n

Tracy is also pursuing unsecured loans to companies linked to Ahuja worth at least $8.29 million, his report said.<\/p>\n

Another line of investigation involved dozens of company cars, including \u201ca number of vehicles that had been transferred to various parties either for no consideration or in lieu of payments allegedly owing to them\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere appropriate, we have already commenced (and will commence further as required) recovery action, including with police involvement,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n

The collapse of MA Services sparked an unprecedented crisis in the nation\u2019s private security industry. More than 1500 guards working at major retailers such as Coles, Kmart, Bunnings, Dan Murphy\u2019s and Amazon were told in late December to \u201ccease work immediately\u201d.<\/p>\n

Before this, the ATO was pursuing MA\u2019s subcontractors for millions of dollars in allegedly unpaid tax in what liquidators and authorities suspect may involve a major tax fraud scheme.<\/p>\n

This masthead\u2019s major and ongoing investigation into MA also revealed how the firm had faced sustained scrutiny from authorities and liquidators but had still won contracts with major corporate and government clients. MA also won lucrative but since abandoned contracts with several AFL clubs and major sporting events, elite schools and universities, and state government infrastructure projects in NSW and Victoria.<\/p>\n

Ahuja suddenly resigned from MA late last year in response to allegations he had been involved in sexual harassment, bullying and <\/a>offering women cash in exchange for sex.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"MA<\/a><\/p>\n

It has also been revealed that MA Services Group had a previous business relationship with a labour hire firm owned by a bikie gang boss.<\/p>\n

MA personnel previously attempted to cover up its role in an ongoing and controversial operation involving a private security force <\/a>sent to the Pacific island of Nauru to guard exiled Australian immigration detainees.<\/p>\n

Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"NickNick McKenzie<\/a> is an Age investigative journalist who has three times been named the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year. A winner of 20 Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley, he investigates politics, business, foreign affairs and criminal justice.Connect via email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"February 3, 2026 \u2014 5:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":454395,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-454394","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=454394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/454395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=454394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=454394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=454394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}