Indigenous businessperson Joanne Jennifer Pellew was convicted last week of dishonestly using her position as a director and of managing a corporation when disqualified.

Ms Pellew, the founder of swimwear label Kooey and one-time director of Ochre Training, Ochre Workforce Solutions and Ochre People, was found guilty on July 2 of three counts of dishonestly using her position as a director and one count of managing a corporation when disqualified. Each offence carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

The charges arose after an investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

In the same proceedings, the WA District Court also found not guilty of three additional counts of managing corporations while disqualified.

Ms Pellew had been disqualified from managing corporations on 20 February, 2019, when she was declared bankrupt, and also disqualified from managing corporations by ASIC for five years from 28 October 2019.

She was charged by the federal Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in May, 2021, with breaching her directors' duties, making a false or misleading statement to ASIC and managing a corporation while disqualified.

The court ultimately found that Ms Pellew had unlawfully made three separate transfers totalling around $739,655 from Ochre Training Pty Ltd to Ochre Workforce Solutions Pty Ltd I in May 2018, and had continued, between 20 and 27 June, 2019, Ms Pellew to be involved in making decisions regarding Ochre People Pty Ltd while disqualified from managing corporations.

Sentencing is set for September 4 this year.

In December 2008, Ms Pellew, then based in Broome, was convicted on charges of conspiring to sell or supply cannabis between May and June 2006.