Two former workers at Aer Lingus Holidays Ltd, charged with conspiring to defraud the company, have begun High Court proceedings to prohibit the Director of Public Prosecutions proceeding against them. Solicitor Mr Desmond Flynn, of Tritonville Road, Sandymount, Dublin, and accountant Mr Peter Keely, Corrig Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, were both charged in January 1994, with defrauding Aer Lingus Holidays by misappropriating funds to purchase 22 apartments in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, for their own benefit.
It was stated in court yesterday that the former general manager of Aer Lingus Holidays, Mr Peter Noone, who is also alleged to have been involved in the conspiracy to defraud between March 1987, and November 1988, was believed to be in Saudi Arabia and could not be extradited.
Mr Flynn and Mr Keely are seeking to prevent the DPP from proceeding with the trial because of inexcusable and unwarranted delay in bringing the matter to trial. They also claim the absence of a key witness to the alleged transaction in the Canary Islands was unjust and would greatly undermine their defence.
The DPP denies there has been an unwarranted delay.