Thousands turn out to support Quinns

Seán Quinn has admitted he is likely to go to jail but defiantly claimed his family had “no choice” but to fight the actions of the former Anglo Irish Bank, which he said was “the most hated institution in the history of the State”.

In a radio interview, the bankrupt businessman accepted that he had made “serious mistakes”, particularly in investing in Anglo, but was also defiant in condemning the bank and its actions.

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme he said: “It’s only in the last three or four months that the prospect of jail crossed my mind.”

The High Court recently found that Mr Quinn, his son Seán Jr, and nephew Peter Darragh Quinn, had failed to adequately comply with a series of orders aimed at unwinding efforts by the Quinn family to strip assets from its international property group.

Sean Snr was not jailed as the court directed that it wanted him to assist the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, formerly Anglo Irish Bank, in its efforts to protect assets in the property group.

Yesterday, Mr Quinn stressed that he would make every effort to purge his contempt, but when asked if he felt he would still end up in jail, he replied: “I do. With the current attitude of Anglo, it is very likely to happen.”

The IBRC is pursuing assets belonging to the Quinns in countries around the world. Mr Quinn said he had made efforts to remove assets from IBRC, claiming this was due to the disparity between what the bank said it was owed and what the Quinns believed they owed the bank.

He said IBRC’s actions were “an absolute disgrace” and “daylight robbery”. The issue has been appealed to the Supreme Court.

Mr Quinn claimed he had “felt bad” about the dissipating of assets, but said: “Do we have it [the money] under the bed? I can assure you we don’t.”

He said he should never had taken money from the Quinn Group and Quinn Direct to invest in Anglo: “It’s a pity they were ever formed,” he said, adding it was “the worst company in the history of the State”.

His comments came as photographs emerged of his nephew, Peter Darragh Quinn, attending a GAA match in Fermanagh — the first sighting of the 33-year-old since he failed to appear in the High Court in Dublin on contempt charges on Jul 20.

An arrest warrant was issued once he failed to appear in court, effectively making him a fugitive.

The photograph showed Quinn and his father, former GAA president Peter, at a club match in Kinawley. The arrest warrant cannot be applied in the North as he is outside the jurisdiction where it was issued.

Photographs also emerged yesterday showing Seán Jr playing cards in the low-security training unit of Mountjoy Prison.

Meanwhile, in a further development it was revealed a Russian court has revoked a Belize company’s legal claim to ownership of the 20-storey Kutuzoff Tower in Moscow, meaning IBRC is now in pole position to be paid from proceeds of the property’s sale.

In the RTÉ interview yesterday Mr Quinn denied there had been a split within the Quinn family and said he was just as shocked as anybody when his nephew failed to attend the court on Jul 20.

Mr Quinn said his nephew “had desperately wanted to purge his contempt” but suggested Peter Darragh felt whatever he did it would be seen as insufficient.

Mr Quinn also said he had not spoken to his nephew and did not know where he was. “At the moment I will mind my own business,” he said, adding that he understood Peter Darragh’s actions and that he would “never be critical” of him.

As for the hidden camera footage shot in Ukraine in which Peter Darragh suggested he would be prepared to lie in court, Mr Quinn said: “These people were enemies of the Quinns,” and suggested the Quinns had feared for their lives in Ukraine.