An interim order restraining the dismissal of a long-serving manager with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer's Irish operation has been continued into the New Year with the consent of the company.
When the action by Kevin O'Doherty, a purchasing manager with the Pfizer Ireland group, came before the High Court yesterday, Roddy Horan, for Mr O'Doherty, said the case could be adjourned on consent with the interim order, granted last Friday, continuing.
Tom Mallon, for the Pfizer defendants, told Mr Justice Frank Clarke his side wanted time to respond to the case made by Mr O'Doherty and was consenting to the injunction continuing. The judge adjourned the case on that basis.
Both sides will exchange legal documents in the coming weeks and the case will come before the court again in 2006.
Last Friday, Mr O'Doherty (54), Rochestown Road, Cork, secured an interim injunction restraining his dismissal. He claimed Pfizer had singled him out for dismissal on grounds of abuse of corporate entertainment after he informed the company of serious matters concerning money allegedly being diverted from it.
Mr O'Doherty was given notification of dismissal on November 27th last but has not yet been dismissed. His action is against Pfizer Manufacturing LLC, Pfizer Production LLC and Pfizer Overseas Pharmaceuticals, all trading as Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals.
The background to his proposed dismissal arose from a Pfizer investigation spearheaded from the company's US operation into some $2 million being unaccounted for arising from construction of a building for Pfizer at Ringaskiddy and other matters. These included the €15,000 costs of landscaping a senior Pfizer executive's home, which costs, he had been told, were billed to Pfizer for payment, Mr O'Doherty said.
He said he had informed senior personnel within the company of rumours that Pfizer, in the course of construction of the Ringaskiddy building, may have been charged for the costs of building a house in east Cork. He had also reported allegations that the executive's landscaping costs were charged to Pfizer.