MinRes goes after Pigozzo’s ‘sidekick’

Mineral Resources’ high-profile battle with a former contracts manager has spilled out into the Supreme Court, with the Chris Ellison-led miner pursuing the other partner in the alleged secret commissions deal.

According to a Supreme Court writ, MinRes is chasing damages, compensation and a rundown of the profits acquired as part of the alleged scheme from former buyer Mile Vlajsavljevich.

The miner claims Mr Vlajsavljevich breached his 2014 contract when he took part in a covert operation to share the proceeds of mark-ups on products purchased as part of a supply deal between MRL and Turkish procurement company Hub-C.

Though the writ is brief, the alleged conduct was outlined as part of MinRes’s Federal Court stoush with sacked contracts boss Steven Pigozzo.

In the Federal Court statement of claim, MinRes alleged Mr Pigozzo, Mr Vlajsavljevich and Hub-C’s chief entered a pact to share the proceeds of the deal some time between July 2017 and October 2018, just months after Hub-C became an official vendor.

The lawsuit marks the fourth battlefront to be opened following the initial row, which MinRes and its founders have been fighting since May.

The miner launched legal action in the Federal Court over the alleged commissions deal, just months after sacking Mr Pigozzo.

But 48 hours later, Mr Pigozzo returned fire with a lawsuit of his own, much of which has been shielded from public view thanks to the swift action of MinRes’s high-profile lawyers at city firm Bennett.

An appeal, lodged by Mr Pigozzo against the slashing of one-third of his claim, is now also on foot, with the matter to brought back before Justice Michael Feutrill on November 30.

Documents obtained by Business News indicate the two parties had attempted to resolve the dispute privately through mediation before it spilled out into the public arena.