Convicted drug-dealer John Gilligan and his wife Geraldine attended the High Court yesterday to oppose an application by the Criminal Assets Bureau for an equestrian centre and other property worth millions of euro to be handed over to the State.
In December 1996, the bureau secured an order under the Proceeds of Crime Act preventing the Gilligans and their son, Darren, daughter Tracey, and anybody with notice of the order from disposing or otherwise dealing with various properties, including Jessbrook Equestrian Centre and lands, Mucklon, Enfield, Co Kildare, and two houses in Lucan, Dublin.
Under the CAB legislation, seven years must elapse before assets which have been frozen can be seized under court order.
CAB says the properties involved in the December 1996 proceedings have been subject to an order for more than seven years. The bureau is now seeking an order under section 4 of the Proceeds of Crime Act for a disposal order in respect of the properties.
Following submissions by lawyers on behalf of the Gilligan family members yesterday, the president of the High Court, Mr Justice Finnegan, adjourned the proceedings.
On behalf of Gilligan, who is serving 20 years in Portlaoise prison for drugs offences, solicitor Mr Paul McNally, said he wished to make a legal aid application.
Gilligan's proceedings were then adjourned for two weeks.
Mr Cian Ferriter, for Mr Darren Gilligan and Ms Tracey Gilligan, said he also wished to apply for legal aid and their proceedings were also deferred for a fortnight.
Mr Richard Humphreys, for Ms Geraldine Gilligan, who has addresses in Dublin and in Alicante, Spain, said he wished to make a preliminary application seeking that the proceedings be heard in private.
He also said there had been a grievous "trailing" of the case in the media in the previous 24 hours which was entirely inappropriate. He was seeking to put those matters on affidavit.
The judge was also told that there was an application on behalf of Ms Geraldine Gilligan for dismissal of the proceedings on a number of grounds.
The proceedings relating to the media coverage were adjourned until Monday next but it was indicated they might be adjourned for a further week if the parties were not in a position to deal with them then.
Mr Justice Finnegan asked Gilligan yesterday if he wanted to be in court in two weeks because, if so, it would be necessary to make a production order.
Gilligan, who was surrounded by tight security, replied: "I do." Following the hearing, he was escorted by a heavy security presence from the Four Courts and taken back to Portlaoise prison.