Sean Dunne’s US bankruptcy hearing to go ahead in January

Developer Sean Dunne’s bankruptcy trial in the United States has been listed to go ahead next January.

Nama, owed some €185 million by the developer, objected to the discharge of his debts, claiming he “knowingly and fraudulently made...false oaths” when filing for bankruptcy and during creditors’ meetings.

In its complaint, filed through a subsidiary, Nama listed a series of transactions, many of them involving the transfers of assets, property and shares from Mr Dunne to his wife, Gayle Killilea Dunne.

A significant amount of the effort of Nama’s lawyers so far has involved sparring with Mrs Killilea Dunne’s representative over the production of documents and information.

Under US bankruptcy law, a creditor can object to the discharge of debts, leading to a trial, after which a judge will decide whether a debtor continues to deserve protection from creditors.

It is listed to begin on January 7th, 2015, at the US Bankruptcy Court in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

In tandem with the Nama action, Mr Dunne’s court appointed trustee is continuing to try and unravel Mr Dunne’s complex, and global, financial affairs.

Trustee Richard Coan has filed a motion to compel the developer to produce more documents and also has asked Judge Alan Shiff to find him in civil contempt of court for allegedly failing to do when ordered previously.

A brief hearing on Tuesday was adjourned until next Monday.

Mrs Killilea Dunne faces questioning by the trustee and his lawyers later this month.