Palmer’s neighbour in $4.5m mystery

A MYSTERIOUS Chinese woman being sought in Hong Kong to return $4.5 million she received from Clive Palmer is an Australian citizen who owns a house in Brisbane – right next door to one owned by Mr Palmer.

A News Corp investigation has revealed Zhenghong Zhang, now believed to be in mainland China, has much closer ties to Australia, and to Mr Palmer, than previously known.

Liquidators seeking to freeze Mr Palmer’s assets after the collapse of Queensland Nickel are chasing Ms Zhenghong over $4.5 million she received from Mr Palmer in late 2012, on the same day he paid out $1 million to another enigmatic woman, Evgenia Bednova from Kyrgyzstan.

Mr Palmer, under crossexamination, gave scant detail about Ms Zhenghong when pressed to explain why he paid her such a huge amount.

Ms Zhenghong received the money in two tranches – $4 million went to her personal account in Beijing and the $500,000 went to her Commonwealth Bank account in Brisbane.

She owns a property in Tweedale St, Graceville, just a few kilometres from the centre of Brisbane. Palmer owns the property next door.

Ms Zhenghong, in her early 50s, has a brother in Brisbane, who is married with two daughters. He denied knowledge of her, and claimed he did not speak proper English. However, one of his daughters earlier confirmed Ms Zhenghong was her aunt and was “back in Asia”.

Both of the two-storey homes in Graceville were built simultaneously by around 2004. The presumption is that Mr Palmer gifted this house to Ms Zhenghong as a deeply trusted and valued confidante, however Mr Palmer would not comment.

Strangely, Ms Zhenghong’s home has no letterbox. She is on the electoral roll, meaning she’s an Australian citizen. But many Chinese, forbidden by their government from being dual citizens, never declare that they have become Australian citizens and keep two passports so they can travel between two worlds.