Defendant in Russian oligarch 'raider attack' case allowed to challenge Irish jurisdicition

Four firms have sued EU-sanctioned Russian billionaire, Dmitry Mazepin, alleging conspiracy to defraud them of their shares in a Russian ammonia-producing company

Mr Justice McDonald said he would allow the jurisdictional challenge to proceed next month on the basis of certain points raised by the Kai defendant, but not all of them. File picture

One of the defendants in an alleged €2 billion conspiracy-to-defraud action involving a sanctioned Russian oligarch, who allegedly controls a Dublin-registered company, can challenge the jurisdiction of the Irish courts to hear the case, a judge ruled.

Mr Justice Denis McDonald, who heads the Commercial Court, ruled JSC Khimaktninvest (Kai), which says it is a separate and independent legal person to the other defendants, can make its case about whether Ireland is the proper jurisdiction for the case.