The managing director of Advance Components Technology Ltd has been granted an order in the High Court restraining the company and its parent US firm, ACT Manufacturing Inc, from dismissing him at a board meeting today

Mr Paul Fogarty, counsel for Mr Aubrey Nuzum, told Mr Justice Kearns his client had learned a decision had already been taken by two top executives of the parent company to give him five months notice of termination of his employment contract on the grounds of alleged lack of performance as managing director.

Mr Fogarty said Mr Nuzum believed that, irrespective of what he would say at the meeting, he would be dismissed. He believed the board meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. today was merely a charade. He said one of his US superiors had made it clear to him he would be dismissed at the meeting and had suggested his resignation would be "more tax efficient".

Mr Justice Kearns restrained both companies from dismissing Mr Nuzum at today's meeting but said he had considerable hesitation in doing so and would grant the order only on the deposition that Mr Nuzum had been informed a decision had already been made.

Last year, ACT Manufacturing Europe leased a 45,000 sq. ft warehousing and manufacturing plant at Citywest Business Park in west Dublin. ACT are specialist subcontractors to a number of leading electronic companies and the Irish subsidiary is involved in the manufacture of circuit boards.