Spy allegations irresponsible’

Press, 29 September 1988, Page 3

Spy allegations irresponsible’

PA Auckland Allegations that a former director of Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, Ltd, had been involved in industrial espionage were irresponsible assertions made without the slightest shred of evidence, counsel, Mr James Farmer, said in the High Court at Auckland yesterday. He described the charges as sheer speculation. The managing director of Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, Mr Keith Goodall, has claimed lan Mellsop used confidential information, some of which was obtained in a break-in, to set up aquatic centres in Australia and Singapore. It is alleged those centres are of similar design to Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, Orakei. The , unsubstantiated denigration of Mellsop was being made for commercial gain, Mr Farmer said.

Mellsop, whose company built the Orakei aquarium, is now a competitor of Kelly Tarlton’s. Mr Jim Boyack, counsel for Robert Davey, an engineer who builds marine tunnels, said Kelly Tarlton’s had committed an arrogant and flagrant abuse of the processes of the courts for the sole purpose of commercial gain. After hearing extensive legal argument, Mr Justice Robertson discharged a mareva injunction and associated orders which he granted on an ex-parte basis on September 1 to Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World. The injunction prevented Mellsop, Davey and their companies, 'Marine scape Corporation, Ltd, and Sea Structures, Ltd, from disposing of their assets or doing anything to reduce their value. Whether Mellsop was involved in any industrial espionage and breached copyright will be argued at a later hearing.