The Serious Fraud Office has launched an investigation into Australian exploration and mining company Greywolf Resources over allegations some of its 10 mining permit applications may have been fraudulent.
Greywolf has claimed to have access to billions of dollars for large-scale South Island projects and mineral and oil exploration, including oil, lignite and iron sands.
Greywolf's plans came to light in December last year when it confirmed to the Otago Daily Times it had hosted representatives of the giant Chinese energy company Qinghua Group, who flew around the country in a private jet assessing potentially billion-dollar projects.
Several Otago-based miners assisted in hosting the Chinese delegation and their whirlwind tour of South Island mining prospects; but declined to comment when contacted yesterday.
Greywolf is a Sydney-based company privately owned by the Lancaster family, whose chief executive, Edward Lancaster, said last year he intended to dual list on the New Zealand stock exchanges in 2011 and raise more than $200 million.
Calls to Mr Lancaster and also to his Sydney office went unanswered yesterday.
Greywolf director John Rutherford said the company had abandoned plans to work in this country, Stuff website reported yesterday.
"Due to exceptional media condemnation, and factional opposition to its applications for prospecting and exploration minerals and petroleum permits, the board of Greywolf Resources NL has abandoned its plan to extend its operations into New Zealand," he said.
Greywolf's application to explore in Golden Bay and Abel Tasman areas caused a storm of controversy in Nelson, prompting it to withdraw its application, but then government permit agency New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals rejected the applications anyway, due to "deficiencies in the financial information provided".
SFO director Adam Feeley, who used to head up permitting agency Crown Minerals, said yesterday the Ministry of Economic Development had passed information to the SFO about Greywolf's applications for three petroleum and seven mineral exploration permits around the country.
"From the information received to date, it appears that false statements may have been made in support of these applications," Mr Feeley said in a statement yesterday.
The SFO's investigation would focus on determining the authenticity of "certain statements" made in Greywolf's applications and, if there was false information, to determine who was responsible for making those statements.
"Maintaining the integrity of the regulatory regime, coupled with the considerable financial value of the permits, means that there is significant public interest in investigating this matter further," Mr Feeley said.
Mr Lancaster claimed last year the Qinghua Group (also known in its anglicised version as China Kingho) had more than $12 billion in mining assets and had "more than $10 billion" to spend in New Zealand this year, which would create "thousands" of jobs.
Chinese backers - Qinghua Group
• Owned by: Entrepreneur and chairman Qinghua Huo.
• Number of employees: 64,000.
• Total assets: Valued $NZ12 billion.
• Mineral resources: 22 billion tonnes of coal and 800 million tonnes of iron ore (estimated).
• Plant: At least eight major coal, gas and petrochemical projects in China and Mongolia.
• Sydney-based, private company, including Lancaster family members.
• Joint venture partner with Qinghua Group, spearheading its foray into NZ.
• Planned a $200 million sharemarket float in NZ and Australia this year.
• Holds about 20 gold and nickel exploration interests in Australia, and iron ore in the Pilbara, Western Australia.
• Permit applications in New Zealand included iron sands in the Manawatu and Kapiti Coast, acquisition of coal permits in Collingwood and Buller, an interest in coal seam gas area in Central Otago. Onshore and offshore Taranaki oil exploration; also around Farewell Spit, and Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks.
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