Dublin High Court, however, disagrees, finding the bankrupt Sean Quinn snr, his son Sean Quinn, and his nephew Peter Darragh Quinn in contempt of court for putting assets beyond the reach of the former Anglo-Irish Bank, now the state-owned Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC). From the BBC report
In her ruling, Judge Elizabeth Dunne described Peter Darragh Quinn’s evidence as “evasive, uncooperative and, at times, untruthful.”
She said he gave the impression that he would do anything to put assets beyond reach.
The judge said Sean Quinn Junior did not give the truth in evidence and overall was not credible.
Sean Quinn Senior’s evidence was also evasive and not credible, she said.
It was “impossible to accept the evidence of Sean Quinn Senior that he had no hand, act or part in Quinn business after April 2011”, she said.
The Irish Times report, which also has the ruling embedded, notes
The [judge] found the three men continued efforts to put assets beyond the reach of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, which now incorporates Anglo Irish Bank, after orders were made by Mr Justice Frank Clark in the High Court last year that they desist from doing so.
The behaviour of the three outlined in the evidence put before her by the bank was “as far removed form the concept of honour and respectability as it is possible to be”, Ms Justice Dunne said.
The judge will decide on Friday the sanctions to be imposed on the three who were in court for today’s ruling in which she described the evidence of all three as unbelievable and evasive in many respects.
Given her findings, and while she thought the coercive aspect of the sanction should be to the fore, it would be “very difficult” to persuade her there should not be a punitive element to the sanction, the judge said.
The bank’s action against the three men included the suggestion that they be committed to prison.
The bank is to indicate to the Quinn side by 8pm tomorrow what sanctions it is seeking and the judge will hear from both sides on that issue on Friday before making her decision.
The BBC NI business editor, Jim Fitzpatrick, who presented a detailed Spolight report on the story in May, has more here.
And Namawinelake has a detailed post on the Spotlight investigation.
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