As far as VH-XXX is concerned as a LAME I can perform maintenance on it.
As you don't seem to have the MR, you can not say with certainty that is was not cleared before it may have flown.
The MR may give reason for ADSB being disabled it may even be on a PUS attached to the current MR and awaiting to be put in the Logbooks ( that MUST be given to a person that intends to do maintenance on the aircraft when asked).
This maintenance can even be preservation maintenance that may be required during a long court battle.
Refusing to give up the log books may be worse than the flight without other directors approval.