Quinn: Newspaper allegations 'totally unfounded'

The owner of the Quinn Direct insurance company is insisting that allegations of improper conduct by the company are totally unfounded.

Newspaper reports at the weekend claimed a memo penned by a company executive showed that the firm used serving gardaí to get privileged information about road accidents from the garda computer system.

The memo also reportedly showed that QuinnDirect had effectively bribed solicitors representing claimants to get them to recommend early settlements to their clients.

The company's owner and managing director, Sean Quinn, has insisted the claims are untrue and has threatened legal action against The Sunday Tribune newspaper.

In an open letter to customers, staff and the public, he is demanding an immediate retraction of the allegations and a public declaration that the memo is a forgery.