Palmer’s sick note fails to divert Federal Court Mensink probe

Clive Palmer has been ordered to front the Federal Court in Brisbane today.

Clive Palmer’s doctor Reza Madah arrives at the Federal Court in Brisbane. Picture: AAP

“Severe” pancreatitis, possible memory loss and the effects of medication were not enough to excuse Clive Palmer from answering questions in court about his missing nephew.

Mr Palmer has been ordered to front the Federal Court in Brisbane today, after the former ­politician called in ill to avoid ­appearing yesterday at a public examination into the collapse of his Queensland Nickel company.

Just last week Mr Palmer boasted of his good health and weight loss on national television, telling the Seven Network’s Sunrise program that medical tests had shown he was “in the top 1 or 2 per cent in the country”.

And yesterday morning — hours before he was due to appear in court to be quizzed about the globetrotting Clive Mensink, Queensland Nickel’s registered director at the time of the collapse, who is missing on a lengthy ­overseas holiday — Mr Palmer’s Twitter account was bombarding the social network with political memes.

But his Gold Coast doctor, Reza Madah, told the court Mr Palmer was suffering from “severe pancreatitis” and his pain medication could interfere with his memory.

The court heard Dr Madah was relying on Mr Palmer’s “self-reporting of pain”, after an apparent flare-up of his condition on Friday.

Dr Madah was forced to drive from the Gold Coast to Brisbane to testify about his treatment of Mr Palmer, after swearing an affidavit to support his patient’s absence from court.

The doctor was asked to explain Mr Palmer’s cheerful appearance on the Sunrise program, in which he said he had lost nearly 60kg and now weighed 95kg after cutting out soft drink and alcohol, and leading a healthy life.

“My blood pressure now is 125 over 70 and my resting heart rate, it’s about 55,” Mr Palmer said. “From that point of view I’ve got a very good cardiovascular system, I’ve had a stress test and I’m in the top 1 or 2 per cent in the country.”

Dr Madah suggested Mr Palmer might not have been on medication or in pain at the time he gave the interview.

Federal Court judge John Dowsett questioned the timing of Mr Palmer’s illness: “I don’t understand why (his condition) became so florid shortly before his (scheduled) appearance.”

The Townsville nickel refinery company collapsed last year, costing creditors $300 million and nearly 800 workers their jobs. Mr Palmer was the ultimate owner of the company.

The Federal Court issued two arrest warrants for Mr Mensink in March after he repeatedly dodged orders to return to testify about the company’s affairs and the events leading to its failure.

Mr Mensink is appealing the warrants. His last known location was Boston in the US in February.