Ewen Jones suggests Palmer’s nephew Mensink ‘pulling a Skase’

Clive Palmer’s nephew has been accused of pulling a Christopher Skase. He left the country ahead of a liquidator’s examination.

Clive Palmer. ‘You don’t see me running away. Picture: David Clark

Clive Palmer’s nephew has ­angrily defended his decision to leave the country, causing a delay to his public examination over the collapse of the resources tycoon’s nickel refinery.

In a letter to creditors yesterday, liquidator Kelly Trenfield, from FTI Consulting, confirmed a public examination of Queensland Nickel director Clive Mensink in the Federal Court on Tuesday had to be re­scheduled.

A summons was sent to Mr Mensink — QN’s sole formal ­director when it fell into administration in January — and his ­lawyers, but it is understood process servers were unable to serve it in person.

“On Thursday, 9 June, 2016, Clive Mensink contacted this ­office to advise he was overseas and unable to attend the scheduled public examination,’’ the letter says. “The liquidators have agreed to adjourn the public examination and will apply to court for an alternate date. Clive Mensink is yet to confirm his ­return date to Australia.”

But Mr Mensink yesterday slammed FTI Consulting and said the liquidators failed to serve him, Mr Palmer or former QN operations manager Ian Ferguson before he left for a prearranged trip.

“I was in Australia at my place of work and the time expired for the service of a summons,” Mr Mensink said.

“I wasn’t served and there was no examination, I wasn’t going to stop my trip. FTI has had since the 18th (of) May to take out a summons and serve it in accordance with the Corporations Law and they failed to do so they probably want hide what they been doing.”

Mr Palmer and Mr Mensink have denied any wrongdoing in relation to the collapse of Queensland Nickel.