Galway Bay fm newsroom - A judge has directed a freezing order continued in a case involving a dispute over shares in the Galway Clinic private hospital.
Three companies involved in the dispute have had a High Court injunction freezing the assets of another company controlled by one of the original investors continued.
The injunction was secured by Marpole Ltd, BMD Investments Ltd, and Parma Investments - against Blackrock Medical Partners Ltd, controlled by US based medical doctor and businessman Joseph Sheehan Snr.
Ms Justice Teresa Pilkington also ordered Dr. Sheehan to provide a sworn statement setting out the details of the purported sale of Blackrock Medical Partners Ltd.
Counsel said that his clients are concerned by this development, as it has no details regarding the sale, nor does it know who bought the firm.
BMPL allegedly owes the three firms over €800,000 in legal fees after it was unsuccessful in a High Court action against them.
The freezing order was sought because the three firms believed that recent funds received by BMPL following the sale of shares in Galway Clinic may be dissipated beyond their reach.
It was argued that BMPL has no assets other than the cash from the sale and has no ongoing business activities - and there was no reason for Mr. Sheehan to leave cash in the firm, whose parent company is incorporated in the United States.
The freezing order had been served on BMPL, however the lawyers that had represented that firm had been discharged and it was not represented in court on Wednesday.
The judge, who expressed her concern about the contents of the email, agreed to continue the freezing order, which prevents BMPL from transferring, dissipating or moving its assets outside the jurisdiction.
Ms Justice Teresa Pilkington directed that Mr Sheehan must swear a statement outlining details of the sale of the BMPL and outline the company's assets.
Galway Clinic was initially developed by brothers Jimmy and Joseph Sheehan, who later ran into financial difficulties, at which point beef magnate Larry Goodman came on board as an investor.
Extensive legal battles later followed - with Larry Goodman and Jimmy Sheehan on one side, and Joseph Sheehan on the other - over shares held in the clinic.
In December, a deal was struck which granted companies controlled by Larry Goodman full ownership of the clinic.
