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A High Court judge has reversed an order to pay former boxing heavyweight David Tua almost $3 million, following an urgent appeal by one of his former managers.
A December 17 ruling ordered solicitors to release to Tua some of the proceeds of the sale of a Pakiri property and apartment, held by management company Tuaman Inc.
David Tua's lawyer - Auckland Queen's Counsel Anthony Molloy - highlighted a number of calculations of money owed to his client by Tuaman Inc, and Justice Hugh Williams ordered the smallest estimate - $2,979,718 - be paid.
Other matters in the messy break-up between Tua and former managers Kevin Barry and Martin Pugh were due to be heard in a three-week fixture starting next week. Mr Pugh immediately appealed against Justice Williams' decision, pending the completion of the upcoming hearing. Through his lawyer, David Chisholm, Mr Pugh argued that the decision was "procedurally wrong and unfair".
Newly appointed Tuaman lawyers had not had time to prepare adequately for the hearing, and the parties disagreed "on virtually every aspect" of their former business relationship, the court was told.
Despite submissions by Dr Molloy that the moneys owed Tua were not part of the upcoming hearing, Justice Williams ordered "it would be preferable to decide the factual matrix relevant to the numerous disputes between these parties before ordering payment of any part of the accumulated funds".
