Clive Palmer given deadline to produce documents

A judge has ­ordered resources magnate Clive Palmer to finally hand over to liquidators financial records.

Clive Palmer. Picture: AAP

A Federal Court judge has ­ordered resources magnate Clive Palmer to “move heaven and earth” to finally hand over to liquidators financial records ­relating to millions of dollars ­allegedly siphoned offshore from Queensland Nickel.

Judge John Reeves yesterday issued the warning to the former federal MP after Mr Palmer failed to turn up to court on Thursday and produce the documents belonging to his flagship company, Mineralogy.

“This is not something that can be done at his leisure, he has to comply with this order (to ­produce documents) and he has to do it promptly … he has to move heaven and earth to comply with it,” Justice Reeves said in ­Brisbane.

Queensland Nickel’s general purpose liquidator FTI Consulting has been chasing the documents for months, including accounts between Mineralogy and Queensland Nickel and details of payments such as $7.6 million transferred to Mr Palmer’s ­father-in-law in November 2012.

The company collapsed under debts of about $300m early last year, costing nearly 800 workers their jobs.

Two sets of liquidators are now pursuing Mr Palmer and various arms of his corporate empire to get money back for creditors in a series of ongoing court battles.

In late October, the Federal Court ordered Mr Palmer to personally produce the documents to the court by Thursday, but he ­failed to do so.

FTI Consulting’s barrister John Peden told the court yesterday it was unacceptable that Mr Palmer had not shown up, and said the liquidators had considered pursuing him for contempt of court.

“It’s unacceptable that he has simply ignored the court’s order,” Mr Peden said.

Justice Reeves agreed that ­because Mr Palmer had failed to comply with the instructions, it appeared on the surface that he was in contempt of court.

But Mr Palmer’s barrister ­Andrew Boe said his client had a good excuse because he was in Western Australia dealing with another court case.

Justice Reeves ordered Mr Palmer to produce the documents by close of business on Tuesday. If he does not, the Mineralogy offices must be opened to the liquidators for them to search for the accounts themselves.

Mr Palmer has been ordered to turn up at the Federal Court in Brisbane on Thursday, as well as to swear an affidavit explaining how he had dealt with the court’s orders.