Trio of directors appointed to the late Ali Sultan’s company ahead of court estate battle
The son of the late Hobart property mogul Ali Sultan has welcomed a judge’s decision to approve the appointment of three directors to his father’s company in the midst of an intense will dispute. READ THE FAMILY’S STATEMENT >>
Tasmania
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THE son of the late Hobart property mogul Ali Sultan has welcomed a judge’s decision to approve the appointment of three directors to his father’s company.
Moe Sultan is currently challenging his father’s will in an ongoing Supreme Court of Tasmania clash.
According to court documents, Moe Sultan claimed some executers and trustees of his father’s most recent will misused money from the estate and appointed themselves directors of Sultan Holdings.
The men named are yet to lodge defences to those allegations.
The dispute emerged after Ali Sultan’s sudden death in January this year, following a heart attack he suffered while walking on kunanyi/Mt Wellington.
On Wednesday, an in-camera administrators’ hearing was held in court before Associate Justice Stephen Holt.
While media was precluded from attending, Moe Sultan issued a statement after proceedings announcing the new directors.
The directors are Malcolm McAully, chair of Pure Foods Tasmania and the Searson Buck Group, Andrew Paul, former General Manager of Clarence City Council, and Ali Sultan’s youngest son Saleh.
“The family and I have full confidence in these appointments to oversee my late father’s company in conjunction with Deloitte while issues surrounding Dad’s will are resolved,” Moe Sultan said.
Wednesday’s news was another interim win for Moe Sultan, after he successfully applied last month for an independent administrator to oversee the vast estate on an interim basis while the wider will challenges continue through the court process.
Two accountants from Deloitte were appointed.
According to Moe Sultan’s statement of claim, he alleges his father’s will – made four weeks before his death – “does not represent the deceased’s testamentary intentions and is not a valid will as he did not know or approve its contents when he executed it”.
He claims five men invalidly appointed themselves directors of Sultan Holdings in the days and weeks after his father’s death.
The will battle will unfold in Hobart’s Supreme Court over the coming months, with the matter due back in court on August 24.
Woman in Ali Sultan’s will allowed to view documents
A woman named as a beneficiary under Ali Sultan’s will has sought to view court documents amid the dispute over the deceased millionaire’s estate.
An interlocutory application filed on behalf of Rola Taychouri-Smith was discussed at a Supreme Court of Tasmania directions hearing on Tuesday afternoon relating to Ali Sultan’s will, which his son Moe Sultan has disputed.
It comes after the Supreme Court of Tasmania heard allegations on June 23 Ali Sultan’s business associates Aziz Gregory Melick, Damian Egan, Ian Creese, Tim Lucas and Mark Saltzman appointed themselves directors of his company.
Associate Justice Stephen Holt ordered two independent accountants from Deloitte be appointed as interim administrators of Sultan Holdings on June 24 while proceedings continued in court.
The nature of Ms Taychouri-Smith’s relationship with Ali Sultan was not disclosed in the directions hearing.
Associate Justice Stephen Holt said the interlocutory application was filed on July 12.
He said Ms Taychouri-Smith had claimed to be an interested party to proceedings.
“Your client claims to be interested as a beneficiary under several of the wills,” he said to Ms Taychouri-Smith’s legal representative.
Mr Holt ordered under Rule 33 to let Ms Taychouri-Smith access the files before the interlocutory application could proceed.
“Rola Taychouri-Smith has leave to search the registry for and inspect any document filed in the proceeding,” Mr Holt said.
Ms Taychouri-Smith’s lawyer said the position in the interlocutory order “may change after we understand the details of the dispute”.
Mr Holt adjourned the hearing of the interlocutory application to August 24.
A legal representative for two defendants – Ian Alfred Charles Creese and Timothy Stuart Lucas – said both men “do not seek to be executor of any of the wills”.
“On that basis I request that they be (removed) as parties,” the lawyer said.
Mr Holt said renouncing the men as parties could “affect all sorts of things” including stopping them from being able to be interrogated or being required to supply certain documents.
Mr Holt held over the deletion of Mr Creese and Mr Lucas as parties to be decided at a later date.
The Associate Justice said a requirement for defendants to deliver their defences within 14 days would be “all haste, no speed”.
He ordered defendants except Mr Creese and Mr Lucas to file and serve their defences within 28 days.
Mr Holt then ordered the same defendants and the plaintiff Moe Sultan file and serve their affidavits to testamentary scripts within 28 days.
“The plaintiff is to file and serve all affidavits to be relied upon by him within 42 days,” Mr Holt said.
The directions hearing will resume on August 24.
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