Contempt proceedings adjourned against man who faked kidnapping
Mr McGeever is alleged to have failed to provide a truthful and accurate statement of means in response to efforts by businessman James Byrne to recover a judgement of €1.18m obtained against Mr McGeever.
The alleged failure has resulted in committal proceedings being brought against Mr McGeever. The application, which has been opposed, has been before the courts on several previous occasions. It had been adjourned to allow Mr McGeever take certain steps including providing information and documentation on a property called ‘Nirvana’ located in Craughwell, Co Galway.
The case returned before Mr Justice Paul Gilligan yesterday, who was informed by Gary McCarthy counsel for Mr Byrne, that his client remains unhappy with Mr McGeever’s attempts to progress matters, in particular providing full details about ‘Nirvana.’
Mr McGeever had claimed ‘Nirvana’ is owned by a Belize-registered company called Universal Assets Ltd and is held in trust for his two daughters. Mr Justice Gilligan, noting that Mr Byrne’s judgement has not been satisfied, said that the court “would not stand idly by” while court orders were “not being complied with.”
The judge adjourned the matter for another two weeks.
This was to allow Mr McGeever to take steps including transfer shares in Universal Assets to Mr Byrne. If those steps were taken, the judge said, the application to have Mr McGeever jailed for contempt would not proceed.
Séamas Ó Tuathail, for Mr McGeever, said his client was prepared to give an undertaking that the property would not be sold in the meantime.
Mr Byrne had previously obtained judgement against Mr McGeever and his company over a failed deal to purchase several apartments in Dubai sold by Mr McGeever’s KMM Intel Properties.
Mr Byrne claims that his efforts to recover the monies have been seriously impaired by Mr McGeever’s failure to provide a full and frank statement of affairs.
Last April, Mr McGeever pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Court and received a two-year suspended sentence, for wasting garda time.
He had claimed he was kidnapped by creditors who held him for eight months before he turned up on a roadside and was picked up by a passing motorist.
