Mystery surrounds GTQ

Friday 20th December 2002

Haphazard publisher Barry Morgan-Polmounter disappeared suddenly three weeks ago leaving new lifestyle magazine GTQ without a future.

Freelance staff members said yesterday the magazine had folded and they were given no warning that Mr Morgan-Polmounter had fled the country.

It was understood he still owed contributors wages as well as at least $6000 to a design company.

"He literally disappeared, leaving lots of questions and no answers," said Grant McMillan, a friend and business partner who helped run the magazine.

Bemused at the disappearance, Mr McMillan filed a missing person report and police confirmed Mr Morgan-Polmounter had fled to Australia three weeks ago. "There's been a lot of speculation but it appears he left for personal reasons," Mr McMillan said.

Mr Morgan-Polmounter set up GTQ in September as a lifestyle and motoring magazine. In an interview in October, he detailed an extraordinary tale of what he claimed was a daring escape from Saddam Hussein's army during the 1990 Gulf War.

British-born, the charismatic publisher set up a motoring magazine in Oman before opening an advertising business in Kuwait. He returned to Australia and moved to Auckland this year.

GTQ was essentially a one-man business and most of the magazine's content was written by Mr Morgan-Polmounter.

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