Manicaros countersued by Cattlemen’s Association, court documents reveal

The NT Cattlemen’s Association has launched its own legal action against its former chief executive Ashley Manicaros, after he took both the NTCA and its president to court for wrongful dismissal.

• Ashley Manicaros suing NT Cattlemen’s Association and president Christopher Nott
• NT Cattlemen’s chief executive Ashley Manicaros makes shock exit

THE NT Cattlemen’s Association has launched its own legal action against its former chief executive Ashley Manicaros, countersuing him for several thousands of dollars, after Mr Manicaros took both the NTCA and its president to court for wrongful dismissal.

In court documents obtained to the NT News, the respondents said Mr Manicaros was sacked not because of his political alignment with the CLP, as he said in his statement of claim, but for a range of other reasons – including the misappropriation of over $6000 of meat.

The respondents said Mr Manicaros bought the meat for an NTCA function in March 2020 which was cancelled because of Covid-19, and then “appropriated the AACo Meat for his own use or the use of others without permission from the First Respondent (NTCA.)”

In a response filed in court, Mr Manicaros denies this claim, saying; “At all material times, and in the circumstances, it was within the cross respondent’s authority CEO to deal with the meat as he saw fit.”

Former President of the NT Cattlemen’s Association Chris Nott. Picture: ANDREA JOHNSTON

The NTCA is also seeking that Mr Manicaros repay them over $1000 he received for writing an article which was published in Territory Q magazine about a pastoral company in December 2020 “as part of a function of his role as the CEO of the First Respondent.”

They said this “a breach of the Fiduciary Duty because the activity was undertaken during and in the course of the Applicant’s discharge of his duties, and the Applicant was required to account to the First Respondent for any benefit received by him through that activity.”

Mr Manicaros also denied this in his response, saying the activity was done “in his personal capacity, outside of the course of his work with the cross-claimant and using his skills as a professional journalist.”

Former President Chris Nott had also received reports that Mr Manicaros had been mistreating staff, resulting in a high turnover within the NTCA, according to the cross-claim.

Mr Nott also claimed Mr Manicaros had expressed his “unequivocal” refusal to work with incoming President David Connelly, at a meeting in December 2020.

In his reply, Mr Manicaros said “He denies that he had been telling members of the Executive Committee that he would not work with the likely incoming President of the First Respondent, Mr David Connolly.”

A mediation for the case is set for July 16.

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