| Christopher Charles Skase | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 18, 1948 Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 5 August 2001 (aged 52) Majorca, Spain |
| Spouse | Pixie Skase |
Christopher Charles Skase (September 18, 1948 - August 5, 2001) was an Australian businessman who later became one of his country's most wanted fugitives, after his business empire crashed spectacularly and he fled to Majorca in Spain. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Majorca ( Spanish and Mallorca is the largest island of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Majorca ( Spanish and Mallorca is the largest island of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
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Early life
Skase was born into a wealthy Melbourne family. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3
His father was Charles Skase, 1948 winner of the Melbourne Herald-Sun Aria Competition, and prominent radio 3DB on-air personality, including his role as star of the live-to-air radio programme, The Happy Gang in the 1950s. The Herald Sun Aria Competition, formerly known as The Sun Aria (because it was sponsored by The Sun News-Pictorial) is a vocal competition held in Ballarat Mix 1011 (call sign 3TTT) is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia and is owned by the Australian Radio Network (ARN
He was educated at Malvern and Caulfield Grammar Schools. Caulfield Grammar School is an independent, Co-educational, Anglican, day and Boarding school, located in Melbourne
Career
He began his career as a stockbroker, but soon became a finance journalist instead, working at The Sun News-Pictorial. The Sun News-Pictorial, commonly known as The Sun, was a morning daily tabloid newspaper in Melbourne Australia established in 1922 and closed in 1990 In 1975 he purchased Qintex, a small Tasmanian company. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Qintex Ltd was an Australian company that came to prominence during the 1980s until its collapse in 1989 Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass
Skase slowly developed Qintex and, over several years, turned it into one of Australia's larger corporations. By the late 1980s, the Qintex group was worth AU$1. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the Currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas 5 billion. Skase owned five resorts as well as interests in the Seven Network television station and the Brisbane Bears AFL club. The Seven Network is an Australian television network, owned by the Seven Media Group. Brisbane Bears were an Australian rules football Club and was the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL is both the professional Australian national competition in the Sport of Australian Rules Football and its highest On the eve of the 1990 economic recession, his two "Mirage" resorts in Port Douglas, Queensland were among the largest in the country and Skase played a key role in putting the formerly small town on the international tourist map. Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately north of Cairns.
Skase became known for his displays of wealth, with a lavish 40th birthday party in 1988, and a company Christmas party that cost $450,000. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) In one particular incident, he had his private jet fly from Port Douglas to Melbourne to pick up a dress for his wife, Pixie.
Fall from grace
By 1989, things began to go wrong. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Interest rates had risen, and an attempt to buy the MGM film studios fell through. Skase was forced to sell half of his resorts to Japanese investors. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. In the months that followed, it became clear that Skase and the Qintex group had overextended themselves.
According to a 1998 report by the ABC program, Four Corners[1], Skase had begun obtaining and moving money into foreign bank accounts in July 1989. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly abbreviated to the 'ABC' is Australia's national public broadcaster. Four Corners is Australia 's longest-running Investigative journalism / current affairs Television program Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Despite efforts lasting more than a decade, Max Donnelly, the creditors' trustee, was unable to trace much of the missing money.
At a meeting in October, Skase began to fall out with the Qintex board. He demanded that the board pay $13. 5 million to a private company that he owned. The board refused to ratify the payment, but soon discovered that the payment had already been made. Skase then demanded the board give him a pay rise, and threatened to resign if he did not receive it. The board refused, with several members themselves threatening to resign.
One of the directors reported the incident to the Australian Securities Commission. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC is an independent Australian government body that acts as Australia 's corporate regulator The creditors moved in, and Qintex collapsed. Skase was forced to sell the Seven Network for a tiny portion of what he had paid for it. In the end, Skase was more than $700 million in debt. He began to parcel up his remaining wealth, including more than $900,000 worth of antiques and furniture.
Exile to Spain
He was charged with improperly using his position to obtain management fees, briefly arrested and spent a night in jail. However, he was subsequently released and allowed to regain his passport. On achieving this, he promptly fled to the Spanish island of Majorca, which prompted intense media interest after his discovery there in 1991 by the Sydney Morning Herald. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Majorca ( Spanish and Mallorca is the largest island of Spain. [2] In 1994, the Australian Securities Commission assembled a case against Skase, with the assistance of former Skase associate Lawrence Van der Plaat, and began to chase him in earnest. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC is an independent Australian government body that acts as Australia 's corporate regulator
Throughout the 1990s, successive Australian governments, in combination with Max Donnelly, attempted to have Skase extradited from Spain, with no success. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 Skase claimed that he was unable to travel due to a life-threatening lung condition. This was disputed by the Australian government, who released a video filmed by some Australian tourists, which featured Skase walking easily on a local beach. During this period, Skase also attempted to build a new business empire, and continued to live in a multi-million dollar mansion.
In one incident, television personality Andrew Denton organised a public subscription to hire a bounty hunter to kidnap Skase. Andrew Christopher Denton (born 4 May 1960 is an Australian Comedian and However, the idea had to be called off when it became apparent it would compromise any trial.
In May 1998, the Australian government cancelled Skase's passport. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Skase was ordered to leave Majorca by 23 July, but lodged an appeal. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. The extradition process was still tied up in the courts when, the following month, he became a citizen of Dominica. The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica, is an Island nation in the Caribbean Sea. At this point, numerous commentators suggested that the chase was over, and that there was nothing more that could be done to bring Skase back to Australia.
Death
By 2001, both the Australian government and Donnelly were starting to grow weary of the large costs of continuing the "chase for Skase". Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. However, there was renewed speculation in January that Skase may be deported from Spain - in which case he may have been able to be brought back to Australia, due to Dominica's extradition treaty. However, he became ill and died of stomach cancer[3] in Majorca on August 5, before any further proceedings had taken place. Stomach or gastric cancer can develop in any part of the Stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs particularly the Esophagus and Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia.
A satirical 2001 film, Let's Get Skase is based on an invented plot to kidnap Christopher Skase in Majorca. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Let's Get Skase is a 2001 Australian comedy starring Lachy Hulme, Alex Dimitriades, Craig McLachlan and Bill Kerr.
References
- ^ "Many Happy Returns". Four Corners. Four Corners is Australia 's longest-running Investigative journalism / current affairs Television program ABC TV. ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956 1998-09-07. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Transcript.
- ^ Ellis, Eric. "Skase's Reign in Spain Turns Sour" (reprint), Sydney Morning Herald, 27 May 1991. Retrieved on 2007-05-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling
- ^ Gordon, Josh. "Hunt for Skase millions fruitless", 4 April 2003. Retrieved on 2007-05-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling
- Van der Plaat, Lawrence (1996). Too good to be true. Pan Macmillan Australia. Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately-held International Publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck ISBN 0-7329-0853-1.
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