THE High Court has adjourned to later this month a Co Offaly businessman’s application to avoid returning to prison forbeing in contempt of court for failing to secure the return of leased machinery worth €2 million.

A Co Offaly businessman jailed for almost two weeks for contempt of court over failure to secure the return of leased machinery worth €2m has been temporarily freed by a High Court judge until later this week.

The High Court has ruled that a Co Offaly businessman must remain in prison over the weekend before he can make an application to purge his contempt for failing to comply with orders to hand over possession of machinery he had leased.

The High Court is demanding an explanation as to why a Co Offaly businessman has not been jailed for breaching a court order.

A SERIES of new and separate claims by various banks seeking judgment orders for more than €150 million over unpaid loans, the vast majority property related, came before the Commercial Court yesterday.