Du Val founder Kenyon Clarke detained outside home in Auckland’s Remuera after altercation

Kenyon Clarke, founder of insolvent Auckland property group Du Val, has been detained by police outside his home in the affluent suburb of Remuera this afternoon after an altercation with a photographer.

Clarke confirmed tonight he was detained briefly outside his Victoria Ave property about 4pm on Monday.

Images shared on social media appeared to show Clarke in handcuffs being escorted by police.

Clarke – a real estate developer whose property development group is currently in statutory management – told BusinessDesk the altercation involved a man who was attempting to photograph him and his family.

”My family has been stalked by lowlife mouth-breathers, so if someone is outside my house at the time when the kids are coming home, yelling stuff, I’m going to give them a pretty direct response,” he said.

In a statement tonight, police confirmed they responded to a “disorder incident” this afternoon involving two parties on Victoria Ave.

“There were no injuries. One person was taken into custody at the time, however they have been released without charge.”

In August, the Government took the rare step of placing Du Val Group in statutory management.

At the time, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly said Du Val Group had recently gone into interim receivership, leaving significant liabilities.

”The situation is complex and of such a scale that immediate intervention is required to prevent broader harm,” Bayly said.

”Statutory management is the option of last resort used to deal with complex corporate failure where ordinary insolvency law is inadequate. It is intended to protect investors and creditors from further losses and to enable the orderly administration of a company’s affairs.”

Kenyon and Charlotte Clarke at Diocesan School for Girls as part of their work for the Du Val Foundations.

Cabinet-appointed statutory managers and receivers PwC said in September that businesses in the failed Auckland-headquartered townhouse/apartment developer owed an estimated $237.6 million.

In a summary of estimated external obligations by the businesses headed by Kenyon and Charlotte Clarke as at August 31, PwC detailed:

• First-ranking secured creditors owed $170.7m;
• Investors owed $41.2m;
• Unsecured creditors owed $18m;
• Preferential creditors owed $7.5m, including employees and Inland Revenue.

That took the total estimated external obligations to $236,607,000, according to the summary.

Police and the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) raided the Remuera home when PwC was first appointed in August, seizing several firearms at the property.

BusinessDesk reported insurance and valuation documents found at the house indicated the existence of nine other valuable jewellery items, PwC’s lawyer, Michael Arthur, told the High Court in December.

Kenyon and Charlotte Clarke are behind the Du Val development group.

PwC was also seeking information about seven further jewellery items.

Receivers had “repeatedly” asked for information about the jewellery and for the items themselves, but the Clarkes had declined to answer questions, Arthur said.

In December, the Herald reported on timetabling for court dates this year. Those were:

• February 14: Update on the Clarkes’ legal aid position due;
• March 7: Receiver PwC to provide an update to court;
• March 21: FMA to file any updated affidavit evidence in support of its application;
• April 16: Clarkes to file notice of opposition and affidavits;
• May 9: FMA to file any evidence in reply;
• May 30: Clarkes to file submissions in response;
• June 16: Three-day hearing to commence.

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