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A public examination into the collapse of Bestjet Travel has heard director Rachel James say that she visited the company’s office in Brisbane only about once a month, Queensland’s main newspaper has reported.

The hearing is underway in the Federal Court of Australia in Brisbane.

According to an account of proceedings published in Brisbane’s Courier-Mail newspaper, Rachel James told the court her husband, Michael James, was left to operate company bank accounts.

Rachel James said her husband also negotiated some Bestjet contracts and she was not involved, the newspaper reported.

Rachel James said she visited the company’s office in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley only about once a month, before Bestjet was sold late last year.

When counsel for Bestjet’s liquidators asked Rachel James what her job title was in 2013, she replied “I believe I was director”, the paper said.

Registrar Lynch on Friday adjourned the examination of Rachel Catherine James to a date to be fixed. A court order stated that any resumption would be on eight days’ written notice, and if the examination was not resumed within six months, it would be deemed to be concluded.

Earlier this year, Bestjet liquidators Pilot Partners indicated, in a report to creditors, that on 16 April 2019 they had obtained orders from the Federal Court for the issue of examination summonses pursuant to sections 596A and 596B of the Corporations Act 2001.

“The persons who are the subject of the examination summonses are persons who we believe have taken part or been concerned in the examinable affairs of the company,” the liquidators stated.

The current Federal Court hearing in Brisbane is scheduled to run until this Wednesday, 7 August 2019, court listings show.

Rachel James founded Bestjet in 2012, a few weeks after the collapse of Michael James’ budget airline Air Australia.

Bestjet was sold to McVicker International about six weeks before it collapsed towards the end of last year and went into administration.

Liquidators, who were appointed on 31 January 2019, estimate the deficiency at AUD 22.6 million.

Plaintiffs in the current Federal Court examination are listed as Nigel Robert Markey and Bradley Vincent Hellen, in their capacity as joint and several liquidators of Bestjet Travel Pty Ltd (in liquidation) ACN 155 965 601, Wynyard Travel Pty Limited (in liquidation) ACN 107 305 224 & Brooklyn Travel Pty Ltd (in liquidation) ACN 612681320.

The hearing continues.

Written by Peter Needham