Clive Palmer had handed his fugitive nephew a new job as the Europen chief of his Titanic II project, despite two warrants out for his arrest.
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Mr Palmer says Clive Mensink will live in London when he begins his new job as European director of his Titanic II replica cruise ship project.
Mr Mensink is subject to two arrest warrants after he failed to abort his open-ended travels and return to Australia to face questions about the collapse of Mr Palmer's Queensland Nickel business.
But Mr Palmer still believes in his nephew's business credentials, saying Mr Mensink was "excited" when the pair met recently in Bulgaria.
He said Mr Mensink did a great job as managing director of Queensland Nickel, which collapsed in 2016 owing creditors millions, and costing 800 Townsville refinery workers their jobs.
"Mr Mensink is the perfect candidate to deliver a world class experience with Titanic II," he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Mr Mensink's whereabouts have been fluid since he left Australia after the nickel company folded.
But it's known he has spent time on various luxury cruise ships, and in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, refusing calls to come home, resulting in the arrest warrants.
On Tuesday, Mr Palmer said his nephew hadn't returned because liquidators would not cover his travel expenses.
"He has always been available for any actions required by the liquidators. They have always known where he is," Mr Palmer said on Tuesday.
Mr Palmer has been coy in the past about his nephew's whereabouts.
At times he said he couldn't provide a location as they'd been out of touch with each other, despite Palmer companies continuing to pay Mr Mensink about $4000 a week.
On one occasion, in September 2016, Mr Palmer told the Federal Court his nephew was probably on a cruise ship "up towards the Arctic".
"Well he might be in the Arctic. He could be in the North Sea," he said at the time.
In February 2017, Mr Mensink filed an affidavit saying he couldn't return because he didn't want to let his new girlfriend down, and because of fears he could have a heart attack.
He said the Queensland Nickel collapse had left him depressed, stressed and anxious, and cited advice from the Boston Medical Center in the US that he was unfit to face questions.
Mr Palmer did not say when Mr Mensink would start work at the London offices of his Blue Star Line.
Australian Associated Press
