One of the five affidavits Aer Lingus filed in the High Court yesterday is believed to be in the name of its chairman, Mr Bernie Cahill.

When securing an interim injunction in the High Court last Friday, the airline's chief executive Mr Michael Foley questioned Mr Cahill's role in the inquiry that found him guilty of sexually harassing two female staff.

The Aer Lingus board has effectively suspended Mr Foley, pending the deliberations of a disciplinary subcommittee of the board.

The company is understood to interpret Mr Foley's affidavit as a very direct and personal attack on Mr Cahill, which he is expected to refute. It is also expected to stand by the report by a separate board subcommittee which upheld two complaints of sexual harassment against Mr Foley.

The other four affidavits are believed to concentrate on different elements of the case put by Mr Foley.

The complaints against him were lodged in February by a SIPTU worker-director, Ms Joan Loughnane, and in March by a head office employee, Ms Anne Lawlor.

Counsel for Aer Lingus, Mr Paul Sreenan SC, told the court yesterday that Mr Foley's affidavit contained information that was "very incomplete and inaccurate".

The allegations were damaging to Aer Lingus and the company wanted to put the issue behind it, he said.

When the case is heard tomorrow, Aer Lingus is expected to argue that the disciplinary process halted by the injunction should continue until complete.

Mr Sreenan told the court that Mr Foley had agreed to participate in that process.

The company is understood to have adopted a robust stance in relation to the claims made by Mr Foley, who said in his affidavit that he feared his dismissal on grounds of gross misconduct was imminent.