Former Anglo director seeks protection from creditors

A FORMER Anglo Irish Bank director has applied to the High Court for legal protection from her creditors.

Pauline Doyle, a former director of Anglo Irish Bank Trust Company Ltd, an offshore trust based in the Isle of Man, applied to the court to appoint herself an “arranging debtor” under the Bankruptcy Act 1988.

Her counsel told the High Court yesterday she would be raising issues of “tax evasion” involving the bank.

Under the Act, Ms Doyle must set out the reason for her inability to pay her debts and request that she and her property are protected from any legal action against her.

The court may then grant an order protecting her from her creditors and allowing her time to devise an arrangement where creditors would be repaid some or all of their debts on an orderly basis over an extended period.

Ms Doyle was being pursued by Anglo Irish Bank for money it lent her. The court heard there would be an issue of jurisdiction to be decided before the case could go ahead.

Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne said she would take submissions from both counsel on whether the jurisdiction issue should be dealt with through affidavit or oral hearing.

Counsel for Ms Doyle also told the judge they would be pursuing a motion to bring the managing director of the Isle of Man bank to Ireland to give evidence because of “tax evasion issues” his client was claiming the bank was involved in.

The case was adjourned to the end of June.