Court hears Palmer’s PA kept fugitive nephew on the road Mensink travel aide

CLIVE Palmer’s personal assistant was in regular contact with his fugitive nephew Clive Mensink after he fled Australia and helped with his travel arrangements.

Mr Palmer’s assistant of 10 years Sarah Mole was questioned in the Federal Court about her communication with Mr Mensink, who was listed as the sole director of Queensland Nickel when it collapsed last January, leaving $ 300 mil- lion in debts and almost 800 job losses. Ms Mole conceded she had been in contact with Mr Mensink from mid last year, when he left the country, up until March 31 this year: about the same time two warrants were issued for his arrest.

Ms Mole said much of her communication with Mr Mensink related to travel arrangements, which included a Mediterranean cruise as well as flights to the Dominican Republic, Fiji and Ireland, some of which were paid for with a credit card in the name of Mr Palmer’s company Mineralogy.

“I book travel for all employees and contractors, not just Mr Palmer,” she said.

“I understand they ( the trips) were being paid for by the company, as part of Mr Mensink’s entitlements in lieu.”

Ms Mole said she did not seek approval from Mr Palmer to make bookings for Mr Mensink.

“There wasn’t a discussion about it,” she said. “It was fairly automatic. I believed that was the correct action to take.”

Ms Mole said Mr Mensink organised a cruise for a large group of Mr Palmer’s friends, family and employees but said she wasn’t aware at the time if Mr Mensink would be attending.

This was despite Ms Mole being included on emails where he reminded a travel agent he wanted the best rate and that he was a three- star mariner, someone who has done more than 75 days of cruising with Holland America cruise lines.

Ms Mole told the special purpose liquidator’s barrister Tom Sullivan QC she was unaware why payments from Queensland Nickel Sales to Mr Mensink ceased when payments from Mineralogy began at the end of March.

The personal assistant denied knowing Mr Mensink’s whereabouts and said all contact between the two had ceased on March 31.