High Court to rule on whether Quinns breached court orders

The High Court will rule today on whether bankrupt businessman Sean Quinn is in contempt of court orders restraining him and his family from moving valuable international assets.

His son Sean Quinn Jnr and his nephew Peter Darragh Quinn are also accused by the former Anglo Irish Bank of breaching the court rulings.

The restraint orders were made because Anglo claims it has securities on Quinn property assets valued at up to €500m in countries including Ukraine and Russia, and it wants them protected.

The Quinns do not deny every effort was made to put valuable international assets beyond the reach of IBRC, formerly Anglo Irish Bank.

What is in contention is whether these steps were taken after (and therefore in breach of) court orders secured by the bank last summer.