DENIS O’BRIEN HAS started a legal action against a consulting and PR firm, claiming that it is involved in a conspiracy against him.
The move comes after the businessman received a ‘dossier’ on a USB stick anonymously last Friday. It contained about 80 media articles and other documents about him, including Dáil transcripts about the Siteserv transaction.
A spokesperson for Denis O’Brien said in a statement this evening that the USB stick contained “very serious false allegations”.
The action has been taken against Red Flag Consulting, its CEO Karl Brophy, chairman Gavin O’Reilly and others.
In the case, Denis O’Brien sought that it should be ordered that:
“the defendants their servants or agents or any person or entity having notice of this Order be restrained from destroying tampering with or cancelling parting possession power custody or control of the Listed Items until further Order of this court;
and
“the Defendants their servants or agents or any person or entity having notice of the making this Order be restrained from destroying tampering with cancelling parting possession power custody or control of any of the items identified in paragraphs 6(a) and 6(b) of the Report of Espion dated 12 October 2015 and which tend to identify who commissioned contributed to or received the Dossier referred to in the Affadavit of Denis O’Brien sworn on 13 October and produced this day to the court.”
The High Court has ordered that the dossier not be interfered with by the defendants, and that no equipment – which could reveal more information about the documents – can be tampered with.
O’Brien also wants the court to grant an order allowing him to examine more equipment and documents held by Red Flag. He is seeking damages for a conspiracy.
A reporting restriction had been in place since yesterday, but O’Brien today requested that the restriction be lifted, according to a spokesperson.
Lawyers for the Digicel magnate said he employed a private investigator during the course of his queries. O’Brien and his legal team want to know who – if anyone – commissioned Red Flag to put the file together.
“This matter was first brought before the High Court yesterday after Mr O’Brien became aware of a concerted campaign which involved the circulation of very serious and incorrect information about him and his business interests,” said James Morrissey, O’Brien’s spokesperson.
The judge adjourned the matter until Friday.
Additional reporting by Catherine Healy. Comments have been closed on this article as legal proceedings are ongoing.
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