Palmer was being questioned on Monday at a hearing into Queensland Nickel’s liquidation about whether he acted as a shadow director for a company that administrators allege traded while insolvent before its collapse left nearly 800 people jobless and debts of about $300m.
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But the court has been told that committee consisted only of Mr Palmer and his nephew, Queensland Nickel director Clive Mensink.
Another news photographer was also pushed into the bushes outside the court as Mr Palmer and his wife left on Friday.
Clive Palmer leaving court in a hurry on Friday afternoon.
Palmer said he had asked Queensland Nickel’s then chief financial officer in June 2015 if his own cash was needed to cover debts worth $13m but was assured creditors had agreed to late payments.
Mr Palmer yelled at photographers on Monday morning saying “if you touch my wife again mate, you’ll be sorry”.
He offered the court a signed affidavit detailing Mrs Palmer’s account of Friday’s events.
By that time, five Australian banks had refused the nickel business a $25m overdraft after personal presentations given by Palmer, who then sought government guarantees to secure a loan, the court heard. He retired from politics at the July election.
Mr Palmer told the Federal Court in Brisbane he was doing his best to comply, but the phone was lost eight weeks ago while he was having dinner at a Sanctuary Cove restaurant.
The special goal liquidators, who are tracing the money from the QNI collapse, have been looking at correspondence from Mr Palmer in his role as chairman of the joint venture operating committee of QNI’s parent companies, QNI Resources and QNI Metals.
Mr Palmer has also released a media statement defending his role in the running of Queensland Nickel and laying the blame for the collapse on administrators.
He said it was clear political forces were against him, personally, and the entire refinery workforce was going to suffer regardless of what he did in the interests of helping the nickel business.
The alias was used at times to approve finances.
On Monday, Mr Palmer was repeatedly asked about email exchanges between him, using the Terry Smith alias, and Mr Mensink.
But Mr Palmer said NAB later turned Queensland Nickel down.
The court was told Mr Palmer’s staff are in contact with Telstra in a bid to recover the text messages.
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