Consulting firm ‘had a client’ for Denis O’Brien dossier

The Red Flag consulting firm being sued by businessman Denis O’Brien has confirmed it had a client for a dossier of material relating to the businessman which he alleges is part of a conspiracy to damage him, the High Court has heard.

A draft speech of Fianna Fáil TD Colm Keaveney, which was included in a dossier of material sent last month to Mr O’Brien, was not commissioned by a client, the court also heard.

Maurice Collins, counsel for Red Flag, said the Keaveney speech was “provided to us to look at it, effectively on an informal basis”. While Red Flag CEO Karl Brophy and chairman Seamus Conboy had edited some aspects of that speech, the fact was all their suggested changes were, for reasons “unknown”, rejected by Mr Keaveney, counsel added.