Gerard Ryle

Firepower boss Tim Johnston has told a court that he agreed to a $4 million cash transfer out of the company’s funds after a man had made threats against an unspecified person. In dramatic testimony delivered in the Federal Court in Brisbane via video link to Perth, Mr Johnston said yesterday he had caved in to the demands to transfer the cash to a company linked to a Warren Anderson, despite there being no proper basis for the transfer. Read on here.

And here (although note that Les Stein is not a former government minister but a former chairman of the WA planning tribunal).

So here’s my prediction. A major underworld figure soon emerges in the story. I look forward to Tuesday.

Firepower boss Tim Johnston was expected to spend his first night behind bars last night after a warrant was issued for his arrest, reports Perth’s Sunday Times. Johnston was questioned in Brisbane yesterday, via videolink to a Federal Court hearing in Perth, on his failure to attend a public examination of his failed company last Thursday. Johnston had cited health and safety concerns for his inability to attend the liquidators’ hearing in Perth, supplying a doctor’s affidavit to support his claim that he was too ill to fly. Lawyers for the liquidators of Firepower immediately applied for a warrant for his arrest, and that hearing was adjourned to Wednesday. Sorry for the cut-and-paste job but I am still overseas. But you can read on here.

UPDATE: I see Johnston has escaped being taken into custody despite a warrant being issued for his arrest.