FORMER IRISH Nationwide chief executive Michael Fingleton is seeking to dismiss a defence by developer Gerry Gannon against a legal claim that the former banker is entitled to a quarter share of one of his north Co Dublin developments.

Mr Fingleton has claimed that a £75,000 (€95,000) investment he made in the late 1990s entitles him to a 25 per cent interest in Mr Gannon’s development in Clongriffin. Mr Fingleton claims he funded a quarter of the £300,000 Mr Gannon paid for an option on the Clongriffin site to farmer John Lyne, who owned the lands until 2001.

His counsel told the master of the High Court on Thursday that Mr Fingleton was seeking to strike out Mr Gannon’s defence on grounds that he had failed to provide discovery of documents. The motion to dismiss was adjourned to later this month.

In a discovery order granted by the court last year, Mr Fingleton had sought documentary evidence to show that Mr Gannon received the £75,000 and evidence of any interest held by Mr Fingleton in part or all of the lands subject to the option deal with Mr Lyne.

Any mortgages or charges provided to financial institutions in relation to the option lands were also being sought under the order.

Mr Fingleton issued legal proceedings against Mr Gannon in December 2009, eight months after stepping down as chief executive of Irish Nationwide.

In a statement of affairs submitted to Ulster Bank in 2010, Mr Fingleton listed among his assets a legal claim of “€10 million-plus held in trust” in a major development on the north side of Dublin.