Henchy: I didn’t have total trust in chairman

Former Dairygold chief executive Jerry Henchy has told the High Court he did not have a relationship of “total trust” at all times with the society’s chairman, Vincent Buckley, after Mr Buckley was elected to that position in 2008.

Mr Henchy said he believed Mr Buckley had tried to link his disapproval of Mr Buckley’s refusal some years earlier to sign a code of conduct for Dairygold board members with issues related to Mr Henchy’s remuneration. Those were two separate issues, and he disagreed with such an approach by Mr Buckley, he said.

He was disappointed a private conversation with the society’s vice-chairman, Patsy Kelleher, was raised by Mr Kelleher at a board meeting. That conversation, in which he told Mr Kelleher he considered there would be difficulties working with a Dairygold chairman who refused to sign the code of conduct, was confidential, Mr Henchy said.

In making his comments, he was not seeking to influence the election of chairman although claims to that effect were later made at the board, he said. Mr Buckley had told a board meeting that he considered Mr Henchy’s remarks as “personally hurtful” and “outrageous”, the court heard.

Mr Henchy said he believed various media reports of matters discussed by the Dairygold board showed matters were being leaked to journalists on a regular basis. Board meetings had been moved to different days in an effort to prevent material being leaked to the Farmer’s Journal, he said.

Mr Henchy, aged 48, a father of three from Kilmallock, Co Limerick, yesterday began his evidence in his continuing action against Dairygold Co-operative Society Ltd over the alleged termination in Jan 2009 of his €582,000-a-year job, plus bonuses and allowances. He has not worked since.

He is suing for some €8m damages, alleging his employment as CEO was wrongfully terminated for “spurious” reasons purporting to relate to about €159,000 being owed on his personal farm account with Dairygold.

The real reason arose as a result of an orchestrated campaign involving the Mr Buckley, and others, he claims.

The damages action includes a claim for alleged defamation, libel, and sland-er. He claims his professional and personal reputation was damaged by the alleged leaking to the media by someone within the society of the Jan 19, 2009, minutes of meetings of the Dairygold board and of its audit committee.

That alleged leaking, he claims, led to reports suggesting his employment was terminated due to misconduct and financial irregularities.

His counsel, Patrick Hanratty, said it was their case the raising of the overdue farm account with the audit committee happened “very suddenly” in circumstances where no issue was previously raised about Mr Henchy’s account. It was “a stunt”, he argued.

Dairygold denies the claims, contends there was an issue about Mr Henchy’s farm account prior to Jan 2009, and denies any leaking of board minutes.

The case continues.