Billionaire Clive Palmer’s human rights might have been impeded in his Queensland fraud case because prosecutors failed to disclose documents against him for years, a magistrate has ruled.
The mining magnate was successful on Friday in his application to have his matter referred to the Supreme Court of Queensland, over claims he and his family had suffered as a result of delays in the case.
Clive Palmer outside the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.Credit: Cloe Read
But a Brisbane magistrate said the delays were also caused by Palmer, who had “taken issue” with several decisions of the court, taking the prosecution’s focus away from the case, and his threats of appeal “belittled” the businessman’s otherwise success.
In 2020, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission charged Palmer with two counts of fraud and dishonestly using his position as a director of his mining company Mineralogy.
The charges relate to the transfer of $12 million from Mineralogy to other companies, including the Palmer United Party.
At the time of charging Palmer, ASIC said the maximum penalty was $340,000, or five years’ imprisonment, or both.
Palmer, who is defending the charges, and represented himself at a hearing in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, has also sought to fight the charges through civil proceedings.
Palmer told reporters outside court it was important to set precedents in the justice system, so other people could benefit from it.
“Of course, you know, I’m always under persecution from somebody at some time because my views are quite controversial,” he said.
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