How a false affidavit triggered the fall of Campbell’s Federal Court gag order
A Federal Court gag order obtained by Adrian Campbell in May 2026 was later overturned after Justice Derrington found Campbell had failed to disclose a criminal record that was plainly relevant to the proceedings. The episode has become a cautionary example of how quickly an urgent interim order can unravel when the supporting evidence is incomplete or false.
Campbell, who is based in Thailand and heads Kinnara Capital, had sought the take-down orders over material alleging fraud and misconduct. He claimed the reporting had cost him about $25 million in contracts. But in an affidavit sworn to support the application, Campbell said he had never been convicted of any criminal offence in Australia and had never been the subject of a criminal prosecution. That was not true.
Public court records show Campbell had earlier convictions in Queensland, including fraud convictions in 2012, five convictions in 2015 linked to International Solar Solutions, and 11 consumer law offences in 2018 connected to Eco Boss Pty Ltd. In the 2018 matter, the magistrate described the conduct as deliberate and “a scam”, and Campbell was fined personally and ordered to pay compensation to victims.
What the court found
In Campbell v McIntyre (No 2) [2026] FCA 1279, Justice Derrington described the non-disclosures as “exceptionally serious”. The court found Campbell had substantially downplayed his criminal history, had led the court to believe he was an Australian resident when he was not, and had overstated the personal impact of the alleged losses. The judge found the claimed $25 million loss was suffered by Campbell’s companies, not by Campbell personally.
On that basis, the injunctions were discharged and Campbell was ordered to pay 80 per cent of legal costs on an indemnity basis, a severe costs outcome reserved for serious departures from proper conduct. Campbell later filed a corrected affidavit acknowledging the earlier convictions.
Justice Derrington found the non-disclosures were exceptionally serious and the injunctions were discharged.
The case also placed fresh attention on Campbell’s offshore business footprint. Campbell is associated with Kinnara Capital, Kinnara Asia and Kinnara Limited, a Hong Kong-registered company involved in marketing South-East Asian property to Australian investors from Thailand and Hong Kong. The Daily Mail reported in October 2026 that Campbell was linked to a stalled Bali property scheme which had reportedly taken millions from Australian buyers, although no charges have been laid over that project.
Campbell’s response has been consistent: his convictions are a matter of public record, he says he never sought to hide them, and the first affidavit was incomplete rather than intentional. He has said he corrected the record, regrets the error, and respects the court’s finding. He has also said Kinnara acted only as sales and marketing agent for the Marina Bay City project, did not hold purchaser funds, lodged its own report with Indonesian police in November 2025, and is co-operating with authorities.
For consumers, the broader warning is not limited to one case. Court records, company registers and regulatory decisions can reveal patterns that are missed when a promoter operates across jurisdictions. Offshore structures, urgent court applications and glossy property campaigns can obscure a long history of consumer disputes until a judge requires the full record to be placed before the court.
Campbell’s own defamation and consumer law claims remain on foot in the Federal Court, and no findings have been made on those substantive allegations. But the affidavit episode has already produced a clear judicial finding: when an applicant seeks extraordinary relief, disclosure must be complete, accurate and candid, especially where earlier convictions are part of the public record.