Campbell’s Federal Court affidavit and the danger of unchecked offshore claims
Adrian Campbell’s Federal Court affidavit has become a cautionary example of how offshore promoters can present a polished commercial image while concealing material parts of their history from investors and the court.
In Campbell v McIntyre (No 2) [2026] FCA 1279, Campbell swore that he had never been convicted of any criminal offence in Australia. That assertion was false. Justice Derrington later found the non-disclosures were “exceptionally serious”, discharged the injunctions Campbell had obtained, and ordered him to pay 80 per cent of the other side’s costs on an indemnity basis.
The case matters beyond the parties to the litigation. It shows how quickly an affidavit can become a vehicle for misleading the court where an offshore operator is seeking urgent relief, particularly in disputes involving publicity, reputational damage and investor confidence.
What the Federal Court record disclosed
Court records show Campbell’s affidavit omitted his 2012 fraud convictions, five 2015 Southport Magistrates Court convictions connected with International Solar Solutions, and his 2018 guilty plea to 11 counts of false and misleading conduct under Australian Consumer Law. In the 2018 Eco Boss Pty Ltd matter, he was fined $85,000 personally and compensation orders of $102,200 were made to victims. The sentencing magistrate described the conduct as “calculated”, “deliberate” and plainly “a scam”.
Justice Derrington found Campbell had substantially downplayed his criminal history. The court also accepted that his affidavit gave the impression he was an Australian resident when he was not, and that the claimed $25 million loss was suffered by his companies rather than by him personally.
“Exceptionally serious” was the court’s description of the omissions, which led to the injunctions being discharged and a heavy indemnity costs order.
Three months later, Campbell filed a corrected affidavit admitting the earlier convictions. Campbell has said his first affidavit was incomplete, that the error was not intentional, and that he regrets the error and respects the court’s findings. He has also said his convictions are a matter of public record and that he never sought to hide them.
Why the affidavit matters to consumers
For ordinary Australians, the lesson is not confined to one court dispute. Offshore property, investment and marketing businesses can operate across several jurisdictions, use layered company structures and rely on distance to make scrutiny harder. Campbell is associated with Kinnara Capital, Kinnara Asia and Kinnara Limited, with operations linked to Thailand and Hong Kong and marketing aimed at Australian investors.
That structure does not in itself prove wrongdoing. But the Federal Court record demonstrates why public filings, company claims and promotional material should never be accepted at face value where the operator’s background is disputed or where earlier dealings have attracted regulatory attention.
Daily Mail reported that Campbell, a Thailand-based chief executive of Kinnara Capital, was linked to a stalled Balinese villa project that reportedly took $5.2 million from Australian investors and was referred to local police. Campbell has said Kinnara acted only as a sales and marketing agent for the project, did not hold purchaser funds, lodged its own report with Indonesian police in November 2025 and is co-operating with authorities.
A broader warning about offshore promotion
The Federal Court proceedings remain on foot in relation to Campbell’s defamation and consumer law claims, with the matter listed to reconvene on 9 October 2026. No findings have been made on those substantive claims. Even so, the court has already made a clear finding on the accuracy of Campbell’s affidavit evidence.
For investors, the practical warning is straightforward: when promotional material comes from an offshore operator with prior convictions, a history of consumer law breaches and live litigation, the underlying court record becomes essential reading. Public documents, not glossy marketing, provide the most reliable account of who is involved and what has previously occurred.
The Campbell affidavit episode shows how easily critical history can be omitted in urgent court proceedings — and why offshore claims deserve careful examination before money changes hands.