MORE details of the allegations brought against Clyde Campbell by his former employer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Australia have come to light, including revelations that high-profile soccer star Harry Kewell transferred a total of almost $14,000 into Mr Campbell’s personal bank account.

In an amended statement of claim submitted to the Federal Court last week and obtained by GoAuto, the car-maker alleges that Mr Kewell deposited money into the personal bank account of Mr Campbell on four separate occasions, starting with $8467 on July 31, 2013, followed by a further $2698 a few weeks later (on August 14), $580 on December 19, 2013, and finally $2230 on September 17, 2014.

These transactions all took place after Mr Campbell, who was head of Fiat-Chrysler in Australia from October 2010 to May 2013, had left the company.

According to the original statement of claim filed in May, Mr Kewell signed a two-year contract with FCA Australia in December 2012 to be a brand ambassador, which included a fee of $1 million per year as well as two Jeep cars.

FCA Australia alleges that Mr Campbell has maintained a personal relationship with Mr Kewell and the latest statement of claim refers to pictures and social media posts on Twitter and Instagram showing that Mr Kewell and Mr Campbell’s wife, Simone, stayed at a Maldives resort at the same time in April this year.

Last month it was reported that the Football Federation of Australia was investigating the Melbourne City (formerly Melbourne Heart) soccer team about Mr Kewell’s FCA Australia sponsorship deal to see if he had breached the team’s salary cap.

The amended statement of claim also includes new details relating to the alleged payments from FCA Australia to Motorworld Australia, which operates three FCA-brand dealerships in the Melbourne suburbs of Brighton, Oakleigh and Mentone.

Motorworld is indirectly owned by the former head of Mercedes-Benz USA, Ernst Lieb, and by David Piva. Mr Lieb was the CEO and president of Mercedes-Benz Australia when Mr Campbell was the general manager of that company between 2003 and 2006 and it is alleged by FCA Australia that Mr Campbell maintained a personal relationship with both Mr Lieb and Mr Piva.

As reported previously, FCA Australia states that it paid money to Motorworld Australia for dealership acquisition and marketing costs between 2011 and 2013. The new claim alleges that of the $1.2 million paid by FCA Australia towards the purchase of the Brighton and Oakleigh dealerships, $580,000 was paid to law firm Kliger Partners, and out of that amount it is alleged that Mr Campbell authorised a $22,010 payment to Mr Piva’s personal bank account.

In February 2012, it is alleged that Mr Campbell authorised the balance of funds held by Kliger Partners for release to David Piva. An amount of $409,373 was then released by Kliger Partners to Brighton Investments, a company in which Mr Piva was a director.

Further to this, it is alleged that of the $2.49 million total FCA Australia paid for marketing and financial support for the purchase of the land for the dealership site, $2.14m was paid to Kliger Partners, and from that $1.19m was released to Brighton Investments and $950,000 to Motorworld Australia.

The claims relating to the FCA Australia’s exclusive rights to the use of the property, Villa Gusto Epicurean Retreat in regional Victoria, now include the allegation that in April 2014, FCA Australia “agreed irrevocably” to extend the contract for 12 months, with a letter allegedly stating that the car-maker would pay $500,000 on or before July 31, 2016, and a further $500,000 on or before January 31, 2017.

The letter allegedly also stated that FCA Australia would pay out the entire amount of the Villa Gusto contract even if it decided it would not use the program leading up to the expiration of the contract.

Under the original statement of claim, FCA Australia stated that it entered into an agreement with a company called Vinfinity for the exclusive use of Villa Gusto for 240 days over three years for $5 million, and it is alleged that Mr Campbell had a personal relationship with the owners of Vinfinity, Benjamin and Kirsten Edwards.

As previously reported by GoAuto, Mr Campbell is accused of misusing more than $30 million in company funds during his time as head of the company. Mr Campbell’s solicitor, Sam Bond, told Fairfax Media in May that the claims against his client are “not only completely denied but considered scandalous”.

Mr Campbell has until July 24 to submit his defence and FCA Australia then has until July 31 to submit its reply, while in September, Mr Campbell and FCA Australia will give ‘discovery’, which is when the two parties exchange documents in their possession that are relevant to both sides of the case.

A directions hearing is scheduled for September 1 and a trial is likely to take place next year.

By Tim Nicholson