Palmer must pay after dinosaur resort 'conspiracy' claim

Claims of a government plot against Clive Palmer and his Coolum dinosaur resort have spawned a costs order against the politician.

The dinosaur resort, seen here before the T-rex was destroyed in a fire.

CLAIMS of a "scandalous” government plot against Clive Palmer and his Coolum dinosaur resort have spawned a costs order against the politician.

A Supreme Court judge this week found Mr Palmer made groundless claims against his adversaries - but those claims were not made in bad faith.

Mr Palmer was ordered to pay corporate watchdog ASIC and Commonwealth prosecutors, after a failed bid to stop criminal charges against him and his Sunshine Coast resort.

The former Federal MP and Palmer Leisure Coolum have their matters listed for a mention this Friday in Brisbane Magistrates Court.

The court battle unfolded after ASIC announced last April it was charging the tycoon and Palmer Leisure Coolum with breaching takeover law.

Mr Palmer previously said allegations related to an offer one of his companies made for about $4000 of shares.

He said ASIC knew about the events for nearly six years "so serious questions” had to be asked about the timing of the charges.

After claiming a "political witch hunt carried out by successive governments”, Mr Palmer asked Queensland Supreme Court of Queensland to permanently stay the charges.

Four weeks ago, Justice Soraya Ryan threw out that bid.

This week, Justice Ryan said she could not tell if Mr Palmer genuinely believed he was the victim of an alleged "conspiracy”.

On Wednesday afternoon she ordered Mr Palmer to pay the costs of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and ASIC.

The value of those costs was not immediately clear but with no finding of bad faith, the judge declined to order costs be paid on an indemnity basis.

Generally, an indemnity costs order allows a party to recover a higher proportion of its legal costs.

The Commonwealth DPP and ASIC previously said allegations tantamount to a government conspiracy were "scandalous”.

Lawyer for Palmer Leisure Coolum declined to comment outside court.

The magistrates court did not seek costs but was one of three defendants.

The Coolum resort was known for a model tyrannosaurus rex named Jeff and hosted the 2012 Australian PGA Championship. -NewsRegional