Goodman lawyers to present defence

Lawyers for beef baron Mr Larry Goodman will next week outline Mr Goodman's defence to actions taken against him by the founder of the Master Meat Packers group, Mr Paschal Phelan. In proceedings against Mr Goodman and Mr Zakaria el Taher, a Jordanian businessman and former equal shareholder in 10 companies in the group, Mr Phelan is claiming he was forced out in the 1980s as a result of a conspiracy between the defendants and others.

Mr Justice Murphy is hearing this and related actions in which various claims regarding the affairs of Master Meat Packers are being made by Mr Phelan, Mr Goodman and Mr Taher.

Mr Goodman has accepted for the purpose of the proceedings that he owned and controlled the group since 1987 but he and Mr Taher both deny allegations of wrongdoing.

On the seventh day of the hearing yesterday, Mr James Salafia SC, for Mr Phelan, referred to numerous documents which have been discovered in the proceedings and said many of these would be dealt with in evidence by various witnesses, including Mr Phelan himself and financial experts.

Many of the documents relate to the financial affairs of the Master Meat Packers group in the 1980s.

Mr Salafia will continue with his opening of the case when the hearing resumes on Tuesday next. It is expected that Mr Dermot Gleeson SC, for Mr Goodman, will outline his client's defence to the proceedings later next week, perhaps on Wednesday. After that, several witnesses are expected to be called, including Mr Phelan. It is understood the case will last several months.