Quinn family say they are being targeted

THE FAMILY of businessman Seán Quinn have claimed they are being “targeted in a most unjust and discriminatory manner” by the joint administrators of Quinn Insurance and State-owned Anglo Irish Bank.

They alleged in a statement that four of the children were “sacked, made redundant or constructively dismissed” from companies formerly controlled by the family.

The family’s statement said that Ciara Quinn had been “sacked while on maternity leave” and that Seán Quinn jnr was “the only person to be made compulsorily redundant from a workforce of about 2,600”.

The family claim that he had been “deprived of fair procedures” and are initiating a High Court action.

Brenda Quinn has begun proceedings against Quinn Insurance as a result of alleged victimisation in the workplace, they said.

Colette Quinn was asked to resign last week from positions in the Quinn Group while on maternity leave, the family said.

“The ‘deQuinning’ of the Quinn family business is not isolated to Quinn Insurance and is now evident throughout the group,” noted the statement, which, the family said, was issued in response to “repeated media inquiries”.

A spokeswoman for the administrators had no comment to make.

One of the two joint administrators, Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton, told Quinn Insurance staff in an e-mail on July 1st that processes were followed ensuring that all employees were “treated equally, fairly and consistently”.

He sent the e-mail in response to a news report about Ciara Quinn.

Anglo had no comment.

Meanwhile, a court case between Anglo and the Quinns over their overseas properties has been adjourned by a Cypriot court to September 13th to allow for further documents to be filed.

A spokesman for the Quinns said Anglo’s request for changes to a Cypriot injunction secured by them to stop the bank interfering with their assets was refused.

Anglo, however, interpreted comments by the Cypriot judge on the injunction as allowing three Cypriot companies controlled by its receiver to defend themselves in another action in the Russian courts to protect the firms’ assets.

The Quinns also sought the removal of a receiver appointed by Anglo to the Swedish company behind the €500 million properties in Russia, Turkey, India and Ukraine on the basis that it was the bank’s nominee, but this has been withdrawn.