Adelaide Polites will row deepens amid claims estate administrator would have access to ‘confidential’ files

The legal war engulfing one of the state’s wealthiest families has escalated amid court claims investigating the matriarch’s estate would “open” up confidential company files.

Alex and Marcus and their grandparents Florence and Con.

• Grandsons duel over family fortune
• Inside the Polites family dynasty

The legal war engulfing one of the state’s wealthiest families has escalated amid court claims investigating the matriarch’s estate would “open” up confidential company files.

Markas Salkanovic, 54, who is a convicted attempted drug importer, is locked in a bitter Supreme Court dispute over the 1999 will of his late grandmother Florence Gemenis Polites.

But his uncle, George Constantine Polites, 70, has appealed a court ruling to appoint an administrator to investigate his late mother’s multimillion dollar estate.

During a hearing on Tuesday, the court heard Mr Polites, who is also the estate’s executor, was seeking to have administrator Sarah Hooper’s powers halted pending the appeal.

Dick Whitington, KC, for Mr Polites, told the court of concerns that giving Ms Hooper access to company files listing assets and finances through different trusts, would send confidential information to third parties.

Alex Polites, left, Parisha Coleman and Marcus Polites. Parisha is not involved in any legal action. Picture: Facebook

Lawyer Sarah Hooper, of Track Legal. She has been appointed administrator of Florence Polites' will. Picture: Track Legal

This, the court heard, would include Mrs Polites’ Queensland-based property developer twin grandsons, Con Junior, known as Alex, and Marcus, 40, who are George’s sons.

He also warned any investigation would be “time consuming”.

“There’s a real prospect (files) will become open and available to any interested persons,” he said.

He said if this occurred, other parties involved with the trusts would join the action.

While Mr Whitington, who denied his client was “deficient” as executor, said Marcus had given evidence that he had “no intention” of further interest in the estate, the court has heard the grandsons had flagged a challenge to the will before state law changed earlier this month.

SA businessman Constantine (Con) Polites (r) with his wife Florence (l) celebrating Greek national day at the Adelaide Town Hall 02 Apr 1989

No formal claim has been lodged.

Ms Hooper has been approved to investigate the estate over claims it had debts of more than $4.4m, and assets of almost $1.6m.

Graham Edmonds-Wilson, KC, for Mr Salkanovic, said the concerns were “overblown” and that concerns about others accessing files were made with “no proper foundation”.

Mrs Polites, who was married to the late Adelaide property king Con, 82, for almost six decades, died in March 2024, aged 102.

Justice Tim Stanley reserved his decision.

A Court of Appeal hearing will occur later this year.

None of the grandsons commented outside court.

Originally published as Adelaide Polites will row deepens amid claims estate administrator would have access to ‘confidential’ files