The former federal MP for Dobell, Craig Thomson, says he is looking to sue New South Wales Police over fraud charges laid against him.
Mr Thomson was charged last month for allegedly making fraudulent applications for COVID-19 business grants totalling $25,000.
The matter was briefly mentioned in the Gosford Local Court on Tuesday morning and adjourned for a number of weeks.
Outside the court, Mr Thomson, 57, said the police had "completely cocked these charges up".
"[They are] basing it on an assumption that there is no company, that it folded sometime in 2021," he said.
"[The cafe is] still there — it's still operational.
"They also have quite clearly missed the numerous emails from a very large Central Coast accounting firm advising me to make those applications."
Mr Thomson said the company was struggling and had been kept afloat so that "debts of some hundreds of thousands can be repaid".
"It's not a company that was folded, as is assumed," he said.
"Because of that, when this matter is either withdrawn, dismissed or a case run and I'm found not guilty, we will be looking at malicious prosecution in relation to the police in relation to this matter.
"Of the thousands of clients of this very large accounting firm, the only person who got the same advice as me, the only person of all their clients who's been prosecuted is Craig Thomson.
"Quite clearly they have set out to treat me in a different manner to everyone else and we will be taking action after this is dealt with to sue the police in relation to this matter."
Mr Thomson said he was a silent partner in the business.
