THE QUINN FAMILY have issued a statement in response to the prison sentences handed down to Seán Quinn Jr and Peter Darragh Quinn for contempt of court, saying that the wrong people were being sent to jail.

The family released a statement to RTÉ News, saying:

Ireland today is imprisoning people who have been defrauded of millions by banks whom they have never met or never borrowed a penny from, while the real perpetrators continue to walk free.

Justice Elizabeth Dunne ruled on Friday that the men had not made appropriate efforts to reverse steps taken to put assets worth hundreds of millions of euro out of the reach of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, formerly Anglo Irish Bank. She sentenced them each to three months in jail.

Yesterday it emerged that Quinn Jr, the son of bankrupt businessman Seán Quinn, is to serve his three-month sentence in the Training Unit of Mountjoy Jail – a semi-open, low security prison.

Meanwhile an arrest warrant has been issued for Peter Darragh Quinn after he failed to turn up to court for questioning on Friday. His location is unknown.

Gardaí have visited all of his known addresses in the Republic, however his home in in Fermanagh – outside of Garda jurisdiction. The PSNI have said that an European arrest warrant has not been issued and, as his offence is not criminal, it is unlikely that one will be.

Seán Quinn Sr has been given more time to comply with the courts orders.

Read: Seán Quinn’s son and nephew jailed for three months>

Read: Arrest warrant still in place for Peter Darragh Quinn>

Read: Seán Quinn Jr to serve sentence in semi open, low security prison>