Clive Palmer faces arrest unless he can explain in court how he spent $12 million PAUL TOOHEY NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA JULY 01, 2014 12:00AM CONVENIENT ALLIES5:10 CLIVE Palmer could face arrest unless he fronts a secret arbitration hearing with chequebook stubs that show how he spent $12m that a Chinese company has accused him of taking during last year’s election campaign. Sino Iron yesterday swamped the Queensland Supreme Court with 15 applications, including a personal subpoena for the federal politician, demanding he produce butts for two cheques numbered 2046 and 2073. The National Australia Bank has also been subpoenaed in relation to the same cheques, which relate to the withdrawal of $10m on August 8 and $2.167,050 on September 2. The chequebook belongs to Mr Palmer’s parent company, Mineralogy Pty Ltd. CITIC Pacific, which operates the Sino Iron Project in the Pilbara on Mr Palmer’s leases, has accused Mineralogy of wrongfully removing the money from one of its mine operating accounts. ALL ABOUT CLIVE1:35 The subpoenas claim the $10m was paid to one of Mr Palmer’s company’s, Cosmo Developments, which with Mineralogy and another of his companies, Queensland Nickel, had “purported” contracts to provide port management services at the Cape Preston mine. CLIVE’S TAX PLAN: Would leave $70bn budget hole HOW CONVENIENT: Palmer and Gore are allies Please explain ... Clive Palmer has been asked to show evidence of how he spent $12 million. Picture: Glenn Barnes Mr Palmer’s right-hand man, senior Mineralogy executive and unsuccessful Palmer United Party candidate, Clive Mensink, has also been ordered to produce documents relating to the $10m and all contracts relating to the port deal. Sino has also subpoenaed Media Circus Pty Ltd, from Brisbane, which ran advertising and produced campaign material for the Palmer United Party in 2013. The subpoena demands full disclosure of all details relating to the second cheque for $2,167,050, which CITIC says was drawn on the Mineralogy account on September 2 and “presented for banking by Media Circus on or about 2 September 2013.” Media Circus did not answer questions. Under scrutiny ... Clive Palmer. Picture: Gary Ramage Mr Palmer said he was unaware of Sino’s legal move, which has brought some of the secret arbitration hearing into the open. “I have no knowledge of any of this,” he said. “I’m in my electorate working for people here. All the best, seeya.” He has previously denied taking CITIC’s money. The dispute between CITIC’s Sino, and Mr Palmer and his companies, is being held in camera before retired Supreme Court judge Richard Chesterman, QC, though it appears the tribunal has been frustrated in getting to the bottom of where the $12m went. On Friday, the tribunal gave Sino permission to issue the numerous subpoenas to produce information. Mr Palmer’s subpoena, and others, stated: “Failure to comply with this subpoena without lawful excuse is contempt of Court and may result in your arrest.” It was not clear from Mr Palmer’s redacted subpoena when he was required to appear but the NAB and others were told to front the tribunal on or before July 11. The Australian newspaper, also published by News Corp Australia, has previously published that Mr Palmer’s companies neither operated nor managed the Pilbara port for Sino. Originally published as Clive must show butts or face arrest
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 17:49:22 +0000
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