I don't think that was the entirety of the scam.  I suspect that at least part of the scam - and perhaps the most important part - was to get Bitcoin from others on the pretext of backing Denariuz.  We've seen how easily "investors" can be convinced to part with their Bitcoin in the past.  Saying you received $54 million in credits from the ATO lends an air of legitimacy, as does saying you're going to launch with a pool of 100,000 BTC but it's all self-referential stuff with the smell of smoke and mirrors.

This isn't going to be a fast investigation, but it will be interesting to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

I'd take any claims by Wright, including the claim that he contributed $23 million in Bitcoin to Hotwire, with a grain of salt until such time as his financial dealings have been verified by forensic accountants.