Mensink gone for good: Clive Palmer

Clive Palmer has declared his fugitive nephew Clive Mensink has left Australia for good.

Clive Palmer yesterday. Picture: AAP

Clive Palmer has declared his fugitive nephew Clive Mensink has left Australia for good, as the resources magnate battles to stop liquidators freezing $219 million worth of his assets.

In his most definitive statement about the fate of Mr Mensink­ — the sole registered director of Mr Palmer’s Queensland Nickel when it collapsed under $300m worth of debts — the former federal MP yesterday told the Supreme Court in Brisban­e his nephew appeared unlikely to ­return from his marathon overseas trip.

“His attitude seems to be that he’s left Australia for good,” Mr Palmer told judge John Bond, ­arguing that it was unfair for QN’s liquidators to pursue a lawsuit against Mr Mensink in his absence.

The former federal MP said he had not been in touch with Mr Mensink since February, and his secretary had tried and failed to email Mr Mensink in March. There are two outstanding warrants for Mr Mensink’s arrest on contempt charges, for failing to cut short his international jaunt to testify about QN’s failure.

Outside court, Mr Palmer denied­ he had told his nephew to stay out of Australia for fear of what he would say if he was forced to testify under oath.

Justice Bond slapped down Mr Palmer’s arguments and said liquidators could serve Mr Mensink­ in absentia, ruling it was likely Mr Mensink would get the message about the lawsuit one way or another, despite “swanning around the world”.

Mr Palmer also told the court he would not launch a fire sale of his assets, as liquidators fight to freeze his holdings amid concerns the resources magnate is accelerating sales of his ­empire.

The former Palmer United Party leader represented himself against the fresh legal ­assault by taxpayer-funded liquidators PPB Advisory, part of a quest to claw back $300m for creditors of his collapsed QN.

Barrister Shane Doyle QC, for PPB Advisory, told Justice Bond that Mr Palmer had recently­ offloaded his corporate headquarters Mineralogy House and was “accelerating” the off-loading of other assets.

Mr Palmer denied he was hurriedly selling assets cheaply in light of major lawsuits by PPB and general purpose liquidator FTI Consulting, which want him to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

“In my business dealings in Australia, all of the time something’s for sale,” Mr Palmer told Justice Bond. “It’s been that way for 10 years.”

Justice Bond agreed to hear PPB’s freezing application later this month, warning that if it was granted it would cause Mr Palmer and his web of companies a “very, very significant impost”.

Mr Palmer, personally and through his corporate empire, owns a large property portfolio, several golf courses, at least one super yacht, a $5m collection of vintage cars, and other assets.