“Gun-toting thugs” slap senator with creditor’s petition

by Michael West | Dec 23, 2016 | Business, Despatch

The kaleidoscopically colourful senator from WA, Rodney Culleton, just got a brand new creditor’s petition for Christmas, replete with 40 claims from farmers and lawyers.

Just after 4pm yesterday, one of Rod’s myriad creditors, Frank Bertola, filed the petition in the WA Federal Court. Bertola is one of the two Rod Culleton adversaries who was arrested outside a Perth court on Monday at Rod’s bankruptcy hearing and jailed for the evening.

That was after Rod’s wife, Ioanna Culleton, called police and claimed Bertola and his associate Bruce Bell were in breach of a restraining order. The day’s proceedings were described by the judge as “a carnival if not a circus”.

Rod had resigned in a huff from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party that morning and Pauline called him a “pain in the backside”.

The latest creditor’s petition by Frank Bertola includes his claim for $60,500 in legal fees, Rod Culleton’s legal fees that is.

Rodney Culleton, One Nation senator extraordinaire

The petition includes the claim that Bertola paid the following lawyers’ fees for Rod Culleton for other legal situations in which Rod was involved: Tottle Partners, Dwyer Durack, Peter King QC, Andrew Mason, Dr John Walsh and John Brown, solicitor of Norfolk Island.

There are another four sets of lawyers mentioned in the petition, a petition for at least $3.9 million. Of the 40 creditors, mostly farmers, 28 are claiming known amounts. The average is $140,000.

In an earlier incident which had led to the restraining orders against Frank Bertola and his associate Bruce Bell, Rod Culleton told police that he had been chased down a street in South Perth by five thugs toting guns.

However, CCTV footage seen by michaelwest.com.au appears to show two men in their 60s following Rod down the street, walking. Bertola and Bell claim it was them, that they were endeavouring to serve Rod with legal documents.

Please explain Pauline: Rod Culleton’s other pickles

Michael West established Michael West Media in 2016 to focus on journalism of high public interest, particularly the rising power of corporations over democracy. West was formerly a journalist and editor with Fairfax newspapers, a columnist for News Corp and even, once, a stockbroker.

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