Arrest warrant out for former billionaire mogul Nathan Tinkler
A JUDGE has issued an arrest warrant for Nathan Tinkler after the embattled former billionaire failed to front at court on Monday.
Tinkler, former owner of the Newcastle Knights, Newcastle Jets and Patinack Farm, was due to show at the Supreme Court for an examination of his finances and business dealings of his company Patinack Farm Administration.
The 39-year-old who has owned horses such as All Too Hard, found it all too hard to show at court and Judge Steve Roder made an order for the warrant based on the grounds of contempt.
The court heard Tinkler was in Queensland and refused to board his flight, later informing liquidator Anthony Matthews shortly before he was due to appear in the South Australian court.
“As part of his statutory duties [Mr Matthews] decided to publicly examine the director of the company, Mr Nathan Tinkler,” said consultant Ray Nolan of Anthony Matthews and Associates.
“He [Mr Tinkler] didn’t appear, so Judge Roder issued a warrant for his arrest.”
Tinkler sacked his legal counsel on Monday and hired Adelaide lawyer Greg Griffin who is chairman of the Adelaide United Football Club.
Mr Griffin is in the process of having the arrest warrant revoked and he told sources “It is a misunderstanding that has now been fixed.”
When the empire that was Patinack Farm came under fire, it is believed that Nathan Tinkler was left owing an estimated $5.5 million to creditors.
Liquidators stated that $4.7 million was owed to the Australian Taxation Office as well as unpaid superannuation and WorkCover.
Former Patinack director Troy Palmer declined to comment about the matters at hand.
“I left 12 months ago and have no dealings with Nathan or his group,” Palmer said.
Last year, Patinack Farm staged a dispersal sale of their bloodstock in which quality horses such as Peron ($610,000) and Believe’n’succeed ($1.1 million) were sold.