Clive’s nephew’s next move

A FORMER Queensland Nickel refinery director who went on an overseas holiday after the business went broke and never came home has launched a second bid to have contempt charges thrown out of court.

Clive Palmer’s nephew Clive Mensink departed Australia in June 2016, less than two months after the refinery went into voluntary administration owing $30m to employees and $196m to other creditors.

After refusing to comply with repeated requests for him to attend the Federal Court for questioning in relation to the refinery’s collapse, the former Gold Coast United soccer boss was hit with contempt of court charges and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Justice Darryl Rangiah last year dismissed an application Mr Mensink lodged to have the contempt proceeding dismissed on the grounds the Federal Court registrar had “no reasonable prospect of successfully prosecuting” him.

Mr Mensink lodged a Full Court appeal, which was due to be heard over two days in early March.

However, at a case management hearing on Friday, Justice Robert Bromwich told the court that some submissions made on behalf of Mr Mensink had been filed 12 days late, along with other “unclear and incomplete” documents needed to move the appeal forward.

Mr Mensink’s barrister Peter Dunning QC said he “unreservedly apologised” on behalf of his client.