Goodman `less than frank' with inquiry

Beef baron Mr Larry Goodman gave 103 "less than frank" answers to the 1989 Fair Trade Commission inquiry into the ownership of the Master Meat Packers group, the High Court was told yesterday.

Mr James Salafia SC, for Mr Paschal Phelan, also said a former partner in the group, Jordanian businessman Mr Zakaria el Taher, was claiming Mr Goodman and his servants or agents "deliberately and knowingly" misled and misrepresented Mr Goodman's involvement in the company to the High and Supreme Courts, the beef tribunal, the Minister for Trade and Industry, the Industrial Development Authority, the Fair Trade Commission and the Government.

The claim is set out by Mr Taher in his defence to actions taken against him and Mr Goodman by Mr Phelan, the founder of the group, who claims he was forced out of the group in the late 1980s as a result of a conspiracy between Mr Goodman, Mr Taher and others.

Mr Justice Murphy is hearing a number of actions in which claim and counterclaim regarding the affairs of Master Meat Packers are being made by Mr Phelan, Mr Goodman and Mr Taher.

Mr Phelan claims he and Mr Taher were equal shareholders in 10 companies in the group but claims Mr Goodman wrongly acquired beneficial ownership of the group as a result of the alleged conspiracy. Mr Goodman has accepted, for the purpose of the proceedings, that he owned and controlled the group since 1987 but both he and Mr Taher deny allegations of wrongdoing.

The hearing continues today.