The Revenue Commissioners have secured orders from the High Court granting them access to documents concerning clients of Ansbacher (Cayman) Ltd.
The access orders also relate to persons and companies found to have failed to co-operate with the inquiry conducted into the bank's affairs.
The president of the High Court, Mr Justice Finnegan, said yesterday he would make additional orders if further information emerged from documents which related to other persons or companies.
He was dealing with an application by the Revenue following a court decision last month on an application by the Revenue for access to documents procured by the Ansbacher inspectors but not included in their final report.
On May 26th last, Mr Justice Finnegan held the Revenue might have access to certain documents and information not included in the inspectors' report. He said the documents must relate only to clients of Ansbacher or to persons and companies who failed to co-operate with the inspectors' inquiry. However, he said the Revenue could apply at a later date if they sought information on any other individual or company.
Yesterday, Mr James Connolly SC, for the Revenue Commissioners, said it appeared from Mr Justice Finnegan's ruling that the door was not closed on his clients in relation to investigating other persons if the Revenue had specific information about those other individuals or companies. He asked the court to fix a time frame in which the inspectors who investigated the bank's affairs would furnish the documents to the Revenue.
Mr Justice Finnegan said there was a logistical problem because the inspectorate did not exist anymore and a considerable volume of the documents were now in the custody of the Courts Service. The mechanics of getting access to the documents was not going to be easy. As he had no idea how the documents were indexed and filed, he would be loathe to put a time frame on the handover, the judge said. It was going to be a matter of liaising with the Court Service and finding out what assistance the inspectorate could give.
Mr Shane Murphy SC, for the inspectors, asked if the Revenue Commissioners could provide the inspectorate with the categories of persons and companies about whom they required information. The president said it might well be that other named persons or companies could emerge from additional information arising out of the report and the Revenue authorities could make further applications to the court.
Mr John Gordon SC for Ansbacher Cayman, said it was clear the court had found the Revenue might only seek access to documents in relation to people or corporations actually named in the inspectors' report.
