A FIRM of solicitors has secured a temporary High Court injunction freezing below €250,000 the assets of its dismissed financial controller arising from the discovery, following her dismissal, of “serious irregularities” in the firm’s accounts.
The freezing order was granted against Donna Watt (otherwise Donna Magee or Donna McGee), Spring Vale Road, Ravensdale, Dundalk, Co Louth.
The court was told Ms Watt had indicated she was travelling to Spain yesterday and planned to return tomorrow.
The application for the order was made yesterday on an ex- parte basis (one side only represented) by Breffni Gordon, for Ciarán O’Mara, James McCourt, Ann Carter, Anne Curran, Anne Brennan and Stephen Maher, practising as O’Mara Geraghty McCourt solicitors, Northumberland Road, Dublin.
Ms Justice Mary Laffoy returned the matter to Monday next.
In an affidavit, Mr O’Mara said he was a solicitor and managing partner in the firm. Ms Watt was a former employee having taken up employment in December 2007 on a part-time basis and full-time employment in January last year.
He said Ms Watt was engaged as a financial controller at €60,000 a year with full responsibility for management of the firm’s accounts. At interview, she claimed she held professional qualifications, including a first-class honours degree in accounting.
In April last, the external auditors informed the firm there were some irregularities in its accounts, particularly concerning VAT declarations and payroll issues.
At that point, the issues raised related to standards, errors or mistakes and did not concern matters now being addressed such as misappropriation of funds, deceit or dishonesty, he said.
On June 22nd, it was decided to terminate Ms Watt’s employment as confidence in her ability to carry out her duties had been lost, Mr O’Mara said.
She had been given every opportunity to address the issues raised and it was clear she lacked the requisite competence to complete the tasks to the standard required, he added.
When informed of the decision, Ms Watt appeared unperturbed and departed without acrimony on June 25th last, Mr O’Mara said. She had not disputed the decision or raised any issue concerning the termination of her employment.
On employing an accountant to fill the vacancy, serious irregularities were uncovered, Mr O’Mara said.
Insofar as there had occurred a misappropriation of money from the practice account, it appeared the mechanism of misappropriation involved a system whereby double entries of identical sums were posted to the relevant accounts.
Mr O’Mara said he had been in contact with the Garda and understood the complaints were being investigated.