Gayle Dunne seeks cross-examination orders in asset case

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Gayle Dunne is seeking cross-examination orders in the Commercial Court concerning disputed asset transfers. The proceedings were reported on 13 July 2015. The application concerns affidavits intended for use by Chris Lehane, the official assignee administering Sean Dunne’s Irish bankruptcy, in opposing her application to halt the Irish proceedings.

Ms Dunne wants her lawyers to question Timothy Miltenberger about his affidavits. Mr Lehane alleges that Sean Dunne made invalid transfers of assets to her, including a hotel in South Africa. She argues the Irish proceedings should be halted as an abuse of process because proceedings are also taking place in the US.

In her defence, Ms Dunne says she and Mr Dunne had agreed that, if she married him and started a family with him, he would immediately transfer part of his wealth to her. Her defence states that agreements were reached in 2005 and 2008 and a formal share transfer took place in October 2008. It denies that Mr Dunne transferred assets or profits to her as alleged by Mr Lehane.

The Commercial Court was due to hear the cross-examination application later that month. Ms Dunne’s lawyers said another attorney’s affidavit extensively contradicted Mr Miltenberger’s affidavits, including on duplication between the Irish and US proceedings.