Tax Office Sues Former MP; MP Sues Co-Directors

It’s a merry-go-round of countersuits. 

The Tax Office is going after Belinda Neal for a $1.4 million debt owed by the Central Coast Mariners Football Club. Neal, meanwhile, has launched a counter-attack against the Mariners. 

Neal was the club’s director for six years. The Tax Office said the former federal Labor MP is personally accountable for about $1.2 million in taxes. On top of this are penalties and filing fees amounting to $1,447,639. 

Neal, however, is baffled why she is the only one being pursued over the tax battles. Five of her male co-directors at that time were ignored by the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation. 

In retaliation, Neal is suing her former co-directors. These include club chairman Peter Turnbill, Kevin McCabe, Michael Charlesworth, Bob Graham, and Lyall Gorman. 

McCabe is an English-based property tycoon and co-owner of the Mariners. Charlesworth, meanwhile, is part-owner. Graham is now mayor of Wyong while Gorman is A-League executive chairman. 

Club chairman Peter Turnbull has said that the club is currently in negotiations with the Tax Office to settle the issue. He said he hopes the matter will be resolved soon. 

For quite a while, the Mariners are believed to be in negotiations with a Russian syndicate that has links to Spartak Moscow. No deal, however, has been struck so far. 

This is not the first time that Neal got involved in controversy. She infamously got involved with the Joe’s eatery debacle when witnesses said she abused restaurant staff after they asked she and husband John Della Bosca to move tables. 

Neal also figured in a fight with Bosca’s ex-mistress Kate Neill. The two took out apprehended violence orders after they had a chance encounter last April.