A HIGH Court judge has ruled that a construction company “deliberately misled” the court by claiming it was solvent just days before applying to the court for the appointment of an examiner.
Ms Justice Mary Laffoy was yesterday informed that an examiner had been appointed by another judge on Friday to Laragan Developments Limited, Strokestown, Co Roscommon.
Prior to the application for examinership, Ms Justice Laffoy had been dealing with an application by a creditor of Laragan to have the firm wound up.
The winding-up petition was brought by Velfac Ireland Limited Window Systems, with offices at Citywest, Co Dublin, over an alleged debt of €81,000 for windows provided at Carrickmines Green, Glenamuck Road, Dublin.
Laragan had opposed the winding-up petition, disputed the amount claimed, said it had paid more than €653,502 to Velfac to date and alleged the company had failed to attend to a large amount of snags.
Yesterday, the judge said she was making a finding that the court was deliberately misled, in an affidavit from Laragan, concerning the insolvency of the company. The court had heard Laragan was solvent before it emerged it intended to go into examinership.
In response to an apology tendered to the court on behalf of Laragan, Ms Justice Laffoy replied it was not a matter of apologising to her or “annoying her”.
The judge said she was adjourning all the matters to the examinership proceedings.