Keating denies being director of suspect firm

A former TD and junior Minister, Mr Michael Keating, denied in the High
Court yesterday that he is or was a director of a company currently being
investigated by the Criminal Assets Bureau with regard to the laundering of
drugs money.

Mr Keating's affidavit was read during an unsuccessful application to the
court by a Dublin company director seeking injunctions to prevent allegedly
intimidatory activities by the CAB.

The application was made by Mr Peter Bolger and his company, Louisville
Ltd, which trades as Eringold, Irish beef exporters.

In refusing the injunctions sought, Mr Justice Smyth said some of the
evidence in Mr Bolger's grounding affidavit was just not credible and some
of the facts contained in it must have been known to have been untrue.

Mr Bolger stated he was a director of Louisville Ltd, trading as Eringold,
with Mr Michael O'Leary, of the Dublin accountancy firm of Simpson Xavier,
and Mr Michael Keating, of Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

Mr Donal O'Donnell SC, for CAB, reading Mr Keating's affidavit, said Mr
Keating, a former Lord Mayor of Dublin, stated he was not and never had
been a director of Louisville Limited and had not attended meetings.

He had not authorised solicitors to act on his behalf and had not been
threatened as alleged. He had not been obliged to resign as a director of
Louisville Ltd, since he had not been a director, and he had not been
informed that Mr Bolger was importing drugs.

Mr Keating had sworn that two bank drafts made out for £48,000 in favour of
Mr George Mitchell had been negotiated by Mr Bolger.

Mr Mitchell was described in court as being known for complicity in
unlawful killings and drugs importation.

Mr O'Donnell also read an affidavit by Mr O'Leary in which he stated that
no directorships of Louisville Ltd, formally or informally, had been held,
and that he was not Mr Bolger's accountant and had never acted on his
behalf. Mr O'Leary said no one had alleged to him that Mr Bolger was a
substantial importer of drugs' or had any involvement with Mr Mitchell.

Mr Bolger in an affidavit said members of CAB had embarked on a campaign of
vilification against him and the other two directors of Louisville Ltd, as
well as a Russian company. Mr Keating had been advised by CAB to have no
further business with Eringold and to resign as a director.

Mr Bolger said Mr Keating and Mr O'Leary had been frightened and
intimidated by CAB and they had been told that he, Mr Bolger, was a person
associated with drug importation.

In affidavits, members of CAB, "emphatically rejected" any wrongdoing,
assault or verbal abuse of Mr Bolger while under arrest.

They said Mr Bolger had been convicted in England of fraud and absconded.
Extradition proceedings had failed on a technicality.