Court to rule on unpublished Ansbacher documents

Applications for access to documents gathered by the inspectors into the affairs of Ansbacher Cayman Ltd but not included in …

Applications for access to documents gathered by the inspectors into the affairs of Ansbacher Cayman Ltd but not included in the report will be heard by the High Court in November.

The applications were made by the Revenue Commissioners and the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

The court was also told yesterday by Mr Shane Murphy SC, for the inspectors, that the office of the inspectors is now closed and their staff had been reassigned.

The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Finnegan, heard that there were a number of applications following the publication of the inspectors' report, including a number for access to documents not contained within the report.

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The Revenue said documents would be "of immeasurable assistance" in investigations into identified Ansbacher clients and discovering other Ansbacher clients.

Mr Feichin McDonagh SC, for the Attorney General, said the Attorney was supporting the applications and considered the release of the documents as in the public interest.

Mr Maurice Collins, for Ansbacher Cayman Limited, said he would be opposing the applications and would argue release of the documents was not in the public interest.

Mr McDonagh said the Attorney's view was that the public interest would be served by the Revenue getting the documents sought.

Mr Collins, for the Bank, said another issue was whether disclosure of the documents sought would be contrary to the public interest in relation to the investigations of companies.

Mr Justice Finnegan also directed that correspondence between the inspectors and three persons named in the report as Ansbacher account holders - Mr Ray Carroll, Mr Jack Stakelum and Mr John Murphy be published in hard copy as an addendum to the report.

Mr Murphy SC, said due to an oversight, this material was not included in the published report and the inspectors were asking that it be published now.