Sean Quinn Jnr Is Freed As Contempt Case Continues

A contempt case against Sean Quinn - formerly Ireland's richest man but now battling against financial ruin - has been adjourned by the High Court in Dublin for two weeks.

Mr Quinn has hired a new team of Belfast-based lawyers, and they have been given more time to familiarize themselves with the complexities of the case.

Mr Quinn is facing jail for defying a High Court order that he co-operate with the IBRC, formerly Anglo Irish Bank.

The High Court found him guilty of contempt earlier this year after it emerged the Quinns had moved assets worth millions of euros out of reach of the bank, which is now owned by the taxpayers.

The bank alleges the Quinn family owe the now state-owned institution more than €2bn.

But the Quinns are disputing most of this money.

They have thousands of loyal supporters, mostly in their home counties of Cavan and Fermanagh, who took to the streets of Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan last week in protest.

Sean Quinn's son, Sean Jnr has spent the last three months in jail on the same contempt charge.

Last week, the Supreme Court upheld his contempt conviction, although it ruled that he could not be held in jail indefinitely.

On Friday, Lawyers for IBRC, told the court there had still been no meaningful co-operation from Sean Quinn Sr to comply with orders of the court to reverse the asset stripping of Quinn companies.

The court was told "nothing had been done and no steps had been taken".

They say that new evidence shows the Quinns are still in control of these companies and any substantial delay could mean certain assets will be lost for ever.

Mr Quinn's defence team responded by pointing out that he is a 66-year-old who has had two major heart operations with his liberty at risk.

The cases of Mr Quinn Sr, his son Sean Quinn Jr, and nephew Peter Darragh Quinn, were to be reviewed on Friday.

But the case was deferred for two weeks.

Peter Darragh Quinn is living across the border in Northern Ireland, effectively a fugitive from authorities in the Republic.

There are no legal measures in place for extradition because the case is a civil matter rather than a criminal one.