In January, two men allegedly threatened Michel Germani and a female member of his staff at Germani’s central Sydney store, demanding access to the safe. However, a report from the BBC has revealed that Germani has been arrested and accused of planning the robbery at his own luxury shop, and then filing a false insurance claim.
Germani now faces several charges including robbery, fraud and deception. While the police have not disclosed what was taken in the raid, the BBC quoted detective superintendent Joe Doueihi who said that Germani had made a claim for a "substantial amount of jewellery of a sizeable dollar amount".
"I can indicate there is sufficient evidence that would implicate the store owner in orchestrating that robbery," Doueihi told reporters.
The police also revealed that two other men aged 37 and 57 were arrested and charged in connection with the case last month, with more arrests expected.
The alleged robbery took place on 19 January when two men made an appointment at the Germani George Street store in Sydney, and then turned on Mr Germani and a female staff member. The police revealed that the 47-year-old woman was allegedly threatened by one man with a knife, and both she and Germani were restrained before the robbers fled the scene.
Doueihi said the woman had suffered physical injuries and was left "absolutely traumatised" by the incident.
"She was purely an innocent agent and the victim of what she believed was a robbery," he said.
The BBC report into the case revealed that Germani set up his Australian business in the mid-1980s, and it became one of the country's best-known jewellery brands after it sponsored the TV show Sale of the Century from 1988-2001.
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