Administrators seek news of any dodgy dealings at Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel

QUEENSLAND Nickel employees who are owed $30 million in entitlements are being asked to dob in their boss, as administrators investigate claims of insolvent trading, shadow directors and that “Terry Smith” alias.

QUEENSLAND Nickel employees who are owed $30 million in entitlements are being asked to dob in their bosses, as administrators investigate claims of insolvent trading, shadow directors and the now-infamous “Terry Smith” alias.

Documents obtained by The Courier-Mail reveal FTI Consulting made the appeal to staff, telling them they could remain anonymous and it would not breach their employment arrangements.

Some tips have already been received.

Details emerged from the previously confidential presentation given to creditors of businessman Clive Palmer’s company at the first creditors’ meeting, held on January 29.

The presentation, which was disclosed in court documents filed recently, also broke down the $30.8 million in entitlements owed to almost 800 current and former staff.

They included $7.2 million in annual leave, $9.4 million in long-service leave, $12 million in redundancies, and $1.3 million in superannuation, with the superannuation being outstanding since December.

Administrators told creditors at the first meeting they had a dedicated forensic and litigation team investigating matters including insolvent trading, the possibility of shadow directors, and Mr Palmer’s “Terry Smith” alias.

They encouraged “anyone with information or suspicions” to come forward.

Australian Workers’ Union boss Ben Swan said the union had also confidentially forwarded some allegations.

“We have been made aware of some very serious allegations concerning the operations of the company’s accounts,” he said.

Mr Palmer did not respond to requests for a comment, but he took to social media earlier in the day to say the “frenzied personal attacks” started after he entered Parliament, as the big parties “protect the two-party system”.

“I can understand future Australians will not invest in (Australia) or seek to save jobs of other Australians considering the media coverage of QNI,” he posted on Twitter.