New chapter in book saga

BUSINESSMAN Clive Palmer is trying to stall a case to freeze more than $200 million of his assets by appealing a decision not to allow a book about himself to be admitted into evidence.

The moves comes as his brother-in-law hand delivered documents to the Federal Court yesterday on behalf of the beleaguered resource mogul’s personal assistant, who recently revealed she had been in contact with fugitive ex-Queensland Nickel boss Clive Mensink while he is overseas.

Last month, a Supreme Court judge labelled Mr Palmer’s bizarre request to file his self-published book, The Last Sentry at the Gate: Clive Palmer and the 44th Parliament of Australia, as “hard to take seriously” and dismissed the bid.

Mr Palmer argued the late evidence should be allowed as it proved his strong commitment to Queensland and Australia in his bid to defend a bid by Queensland Nickel’s liquidators to freeze his assets.

He has since lodged an appeal, and wants the hearing to freeze his assets – scheduled to continue next week – to be stayed pending the outcome.

In a separate QN case yesterday, brother-in-law George Sokolov delivered three boxes of documents to the Federal Court on behalf of Mr Palmer’s personal assistant, Sarah Mole.

She was ordered to provide more documents as part of the public examination into QN’s collapse last year with $300 million in debts, after she revealed last month she had been arranging cruises for Mr Mensink.

Ms Mole will reappear in court for examination on October 24.