In another twist to the Crafar Farm story, rejected bidder Natural Dairy has seen its financial auditor quit the job.

The Hong Kong based company, which launched a joint bid with Chinese businesswoman May Wang was thwarted in its efforts to buy the 16 properties by the Overseas Investment Office late last year.

That rejection, coupled with the resignation of Natural Dairy’s secretary and now the company’s auditor, leaves them in an unusual position.

Natural Dairy spokesperson Bill Ralston says the resignation was ‘out of the blue’, and the company will release a statement to the media over the next 24 hours.

“The company has put out a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange saying it’s a ‘dispute over the auditor’s fees’ that lies at the back of this.
They have failed to reach a resolution, so they’ve obviously had a falling out.”

Business analyst Bernard Hickey says he hasn’t paid much attention to the company, as they’re seen as 'out of the running' in the Crafar Farms saga.

The Crafar Farms’ receivers KordaMentha have already accepted a conditional purchase bid from another Chinese investor, Pengxin International.