Liquidator trying to find which Swiss prison is holding man accused of misappropriating €3.8m from charities, court hears
Efforts are still being made to locate the boss of a charities fund-raising platform business at the centre of an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of some €3.8m in donations, the High Court has heard.
Peter Conlon, MD of Dublin-based donation platform Pembroke Dynamic Internet Services, is believed to be in a Swiss prison but so far the liquidator of the firm has been unable to confirm this or which prison he is in.
Mr Conlon (aged 63), with an address at St Mary’s Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, is believed to have been detained before Christmas at Zurich airport.
Liquidator Myles Kirby, who was appointed to wind up the company over a €400,000 debt to Revenue, needs to know his whereabouts to serve papers on him following the freezing of his assets last January by the court.
Today, Rossa Fanning SC, for the liquidator, told the court efforts to find out what prison he was being held have so far been unsuccessful and it may now be necessary to speak with a Swiss lawyer to do so.
The liquidator had contacted a legal firm which it was believed may be acting for Mr Conlon but had received no reply.
Mr Fanning said the matter could be adjourned for two months with liberty to apply to the court should a further order in relation to serving of the papers be required.
He also told the court the liquidator was in contact with a solicitor for the Conlon family and would continue to speak with them.
He was also co-operating with the Director of Corporate Enforcement, who was made a notice party in the case, and with the London Metropolitan police following a complaint to it by Save the Children UK.
It is one of 700 charities, national and international, who have been contacted as part of the investigation.
Pembroke, which previously traded as Ammado Internet Services, was an online donation platform through which people could give money to various charities - with the company taking 5%.
After he was appointed liquidator, Mr Kirby discovered various charities have not received some €3.8m donated to them via the platform.
Mr Kirby has claimed Mr Conlon is "guilty of very serious misconduct" as company funds were used for personal expenditure.
