Clive Palmer’s lawyers in bid to keep wife Anna out of court over QN

Lawyers for Clive Palmer’s wife have launched a last-minute bid to stop the billionaire’s wife from having to give evidence in the Federal Court next week.

LAWYERS for Clive Palmer’s wife have launched a last-minute bid to stop the billionaire’s wife from having to give evidence in the Federal Court next week.

Anna Palmer has been summonsed for examination by the liquidators of Queensland Nickel who are investigating the 2016 collapse of the Townsville-based refinery.

The Federal Court last month ordered that Mrs Palmer be summonsed for questioning in her capacity as the sole director of her husband’s flagship company Mineralogy on Thursday.

The court today heard Mrs Palmer replaced her husband as the sole director of the company in October last year but the directorship was swapped back to Mr Palmer on February 27, just days after the court ordered she be summonsed for questioning.

Anna Palmer has been summonsed for examination by the liquidators of Queensland Nickel who are investigating the 2016 collapse of the Townsville-based refinery. Picture: Claudia Baxter

Mrs Palmer was also ordered to produce Mineralogy’s management accounts and bank statements as part of the court proceedings.

But lawyers for Mrs Palmer this morning argued the summons should be thrown out because she was no longer in charge of the company.

Barrister John Peden, for the liquidators, this morning told the Federal Court that the request for examination came after Mr Palmer made public statements about the company’s cash flow which is the subject of a wider half-billion dollar freezing order of the billionaire’s business and personal assets.

Barrister John Peden: “In essence Mr Palmer has said Mrs Palmer is the one in control of the money and decides where it is spent.” Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

He said the fact the directorship had changed hands was not reason to cancel the summons, arguing the examination could still continue in relation to her time as director.

“In essence Mr Palmer has said Mrs Palmer is the one in control of the money and decides where it is spent,” he said.

“But Mr Palmer made a number of comments publicly about spending money essentially and the examination of Mrs Palmer is directed to find out just what’s happened in relation to the money and what is happening with it.”

Justice Andrew Greenwood will deliver his decision on Monday.