Two former executives of Gurranebraher Credit Union in Cork began a High Court action yesterday for an injunction to prevent their positions being filled before the outcome of legal proceedings. The two were dismissed last December.

Dr John O'Mahony, counsel for Mr Alec Good, the former branch manager, said the main driver behind the dismissal of both his client and Ms Patricia O'Neill, deputy branch manager, was Mr Con O'Leary, a former Cork city councillor.

Counsel alleged Mr O'Leary was a convicted criminal and therefore not qualified to serve as either a chairman or director of the credit union's board.

The action by Mr Good and Ms O'Neill is against the board of the credit union and Mr O'Leary. The defendants have denied the allegations made against them.

Yesterday, Dr O'Mahony said Mr Good had been employed by the credit union since 1969, beginning as a cashier at the age of 21 years.

He had been extremely successful and the credit union's turnover was now €150 million.

Difficulties arose in the mid 1990s and Mr Good's position was terminated in December 2002.

From the mid 1990s the board had been creating significant difficulties, tension and stress. There had been harassment and bullying by members of the board and Ms O'Neill had found herself in a similar situation to Mr Good.

The campaign against the two plaintiffs started in a low key manner, initially particularly involving Mr O'Leary meddling in executive functions, Dr O'Mahony said. Certain members of the board were undermining senior management and the situation became more and more intolerable.

Staff were contacted outside the recognised structures and meetings held in the chairman's home.

Allegations of unprofessional treatment of staff were made against Mr Good. When he asked for the complaints made against him, he was left hanging in the air.

He had been informed at one stage by the then chairman Mr Dan Collins that he was "intimidating the board" with his knowledge.

From about 1994 he had been working under difficult circumstances and since June 2000 there had been a continuing inspection of him by the Registrar of Friendly Societies. An administrator was appointed and she held against "our people", counsel said.

Dr O'Mahony said Ms O'Neill had inadvertently picked up somebody else's mobile phone which had a text message on it from one staff member to another stating: "The f... are gone tonight... Hang tough until five bells."

Dr O'Mahony said Mr Good was told he was being suspended at 1.35 a.m. on June 21st, 2002 when a security man delivered a letter from the board to him signed by Mr Con O'Leary.

On December 17th last Mr Good and Ms O'Neill were advised that they were being dismissed on the basis of grave misconduct.

There was no appeal mechanism and no legal basis on which their dismissal could be sustained or upheld.

In an affidavit, Mr Good said Mr O'Leary was elected as chairman of the board on January 24th, 2000.

Mr Good believed Mr O'Leary was a person not legally qualified to serve as a director because he had convictions for offences of dishonesty and fraud in Cork District Court in May 1965 and September 1974.

The 1965 charge related to feloniously receiving a quantity of cigarette lighters and one pair of cuff links to the value of three pounds seven shillings and six pence.

The 1974 offence related to feloniously receiving a quantity of cigarettes to the value of £400.

The case continues today.