A company director and three Spanish property companies have applied to the High Court to discharge its order restraining them from reducing their assets here and in Spain below €840,000.

Mr Justice Thomas Smyth was told last month, among other claims, that some €2 million in client monies were wrongfully taken from certain company accounts. However, those claims have been denied in the application to discharge, which will be heard by the court on June 12th next.

The accounts freezing order was sought by Cyril McMorrow, Carrick Road, Boyle, Co Roscommon, who claims the defendants have retained some €540,000 paid by him for investment in apartments in Spain and that he is also due some €300,000 for alleged loss of profit.

The order is against Karl Morris and three companies - Simple Palmera Properties Ltd (SPP), Simple Overseas Property Ltd (SOP) and Simple Property Group SL (SPG). Mr Morris was described as a director of all three Simple companies with an address at Mill House, Schull, Co Cork.

An earlier hearing was told seven of 11 offices operated in Ireland and Wales by some of the defendant companies had closed down in recent months with losses to investors. When the order was granted, it was made on the basis of evidence from Mr McMorrow only.

When the defence motion to discharge the freezing orders came before Ms Justice Mary Laffoy yesterday, counsel for the defendant said a number of exhibits had not been served by the plaintiff despite a number of requests.

After receiving an undertaking that the required exhibits would be delivered, Ms Justice Laffoy said the case would be heard by Mr Justice Smyth on June 12th.