Denis O'Brien gags Waterford Whispers

spaceHopper

tipptom wrote: »

Well to be fair you would have to say in this instance that Gavin o Reilly and the ex board of INM would be waiting in the long grass for him at any opportunity.

Would love to see this go to court and have DOB take the stand to defend his good name, first question "How much did you bribe the minister"

Hotblack Desiato

I really don't understand how this is possible at all.

If I compile a dossier of negative press cuttings/public domain material about someone - how could they possibly take action against me? The material is either factual, or the original publisher of it is liable for any falsehood, not me.

If I write original unpublished material unflattering to someone - so what? I can write a thinly disguised novel about anyone I like and make up anything I like. There is no possible wrongdoing unless I publish it publically (libel.) If I email it or otherwise share it with a small number of my contacts, is that the modern day equivalent of slanderous gossip? But he'd have to prove it false, wouldn't he.

The Chinese Government would love the sort of powers being exercised right now. Seize material and threaten people even if we can't prove they've broken any law.

mickdw

I honestly think people should be taking to the streets over that court ruling.
A line would appear to have been crossed.

TallGlass

Safe to buy fuel again in Topaz?

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2015/1202/750697-topaz-sale/

Nodin

mickdw wrote: »

I honestly think people should be taking to the streets over that court ruling.
A line would appear to have been crossed.

Taking to the streets in this country is viewed as something the "oiks" do, going on the attitude round here.

Satriale

TallGlass wrote: »

Safe to buy fuel again in Topaz?

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2015/1202/750697-topaz-sale/

I wonder were all those lucrative State fuel contracts part of the deal.

tipptom

We need a whip round for Dinny because he is starting to hit cash flow problems and when Carlos Slims and Malone finishes with him in the Carribbean it could be curtains,so give generously people,he was only joking when he tried to sue your parliament and run and run the FG goverment.

Fred Swanson

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hardCopy

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Good enough for him. I hope they take thousands in costs off him. Not that it'll make much of a dent.

Nodin

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVY1-v97Mic

seamus

Reading between the lines though, the judge points out the fact that DOB took the case at all is likely to have caused "conspirators" (if they even exist) to halt their activities or at the very least become a lot more cautious.

Which may have been the intention of DOB's case in the first place - flex some legal muscles and scare off anyone who may be planning to do a big "reveal" on him - winning would have just been a nice bonus.

Nodin

seamus wrote: »

Reading between the lines though, the judge points out the fact that DOB took the case at all is likely to have caused "conspirators" (if they even exist) to halt their activities or at the very least become a lot more cautious.

Which may have been the intention of DOB's case in the first place - flex some legal muscles and scare off anyone who may be planning to do a big "reveal" on him - winning would have just been a nice bonus.

.....but the thing is, whats in the USB he received is just stuff in the public domain, not the result of any journalistic digging, rumour or anything else. Thus he not only stops any attempt at a "reveal" but essentially threatens anyone giving a picture of his activities to date.

tipptom

hardCopy wrote: »

Good enough for him. I hope they take thousands in costs off him. Not that it'll make much of a dent.

Dunno I would say Dinny is struggling a bit after his disastrous attempt of share selling for cash and when Carlos Slims and Malone finish turning the screw on him in the Caribbean it could be Squeaky bum time for Dinny.


I think we are going to see a lot of fire sales next year but a more positive note for him domestically is FG will be back in power.

Muahahaha

seamus wrote: »

Reading between the lines though, the judge points out the fact that DOB took the case at all is likely to have caused "conspirators" (if they even exist) to halt their activities or at the very least become a lot more cautious.

Which may have been the intention of DOB's case in the first place - flex some legal muscles and scare off anyone who may be planning to do a big "reveal" on him - winning would have just been a nice bonus.

but in this instance the damage seems to be have already done - DOBs court case against Red Flag was an immediate reaction to his failed IPO on the New York stock exchange where he expected to raise up to $2bn in cash. He was planning to use some of this $2bn cash to invest in fibre and data to help him compete against Cable and Wireless and also to use some of it to pay down Digicels huge debts which stand at about $6.5bn right now.

The IPO for Digicel flopped in spectacular fashion at the very last minute, presumably because institutional investors and hedge funds didn't like what they saw in DOB and Digicel. As to how much these money men may have been influenced by articles in the public domain on DOB we will never know but what is almost certain is that this was the key idea behind the activities of Red Flag- Gavin O'Reilly was on a revenge mission for him and dad Tony over how DOB ousted them from Independent News & Media.

From Gavin O'Reillys perspective not only has he got one over on DOB but he has done so in a way that has help to cause DOB maximum financial and credibility damage- DOB no longer has the $2bn cash he so desperately needs, Digicel carries $6.5bn of debt and needs more investment to compete against the big players. Apart from all that he had to open up his books for all the public to see in the IPO so now all his competitors know the structures of the company whereas DOB doesn't have the benefits of going public because it failed at the last minute Its a huge setback for DOB and the O'Reillys will be laughing their heads off about it at the Christmas dinner table this year (presumably in the Bahamas if Tonys recent bankruptcy is anything to go by)

DOB taking the case against Red Flag was nothing more than locking the stable door after the horse bolted. The damage was already truly done. Gavin O'Reilly had better watch his back in 2016 because I'd say DOB is absolutely livid about all this.

According to The Irish Times today O'Brien has just completed the sale of Topaz and O'Brien's nephew, Emmet O'Neill, is departing as CEO of Topaz.

"It is estimated that businessman Denis O’Brien sold the network of 444 filling stations for about €450 million, more than double what he paid to gain control of it from the special liquidators of the state-owned Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) at the end of 2013."

So, what tax is tax-dodger Denis O'Brien paying to the Irish Revenue on this massive profit? Zero?

He has certainly done very well indeed from buying up businesses, whose debts the Irish taxpayer continues to carry, and selling them for a massive profit. Isn't the "free market" great - we are burdened with the debts, and the likes of O'Brien walk away with the profits. Forget "social welfare"; corporate welfare is where the real handouts from government are in this brave new capitalism.


Topaz sale to Couche-Tard completed, new MD named

Nodin

Deleted User wrote: »

According to The Irish Times today O'Brien has just completed the sale of Topaz and O'Brien's nephew, Emmet O'Neill, is departing as CEO of Topaz.

"It is estimated that businessman Denis O’Brien sold the network of 444 filling stations for about €450 million, more than double what he paid to gain control of it from the special liquidators of the state-owned Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) at the end of 2013."

So, what tax is tax-dodger Denis O'Brien paying to the Irish Revenue on this massive profit? Zero?

He has certainly done very well indeed from buying up businesses, whose debts the Irish taxpayer continues to carry, and selling them for a massive profit. Isn't the "free market" great - we are burdened with the debts, and the likes of O'Brien walk away with the profits. Forget "social welfare"; corporate welfare is where the real handouts from government are in this brave new capitalism.


Topaz sale to Couche-Tard completed, new MD named

I'd imagine that Upstanding Citizen O'Brien, being apparently a resident of Malta, will pay whatever little is due.

satguy

His buddies in FG gave him Topaz for €150 million,, then Topaz somehow got competition clearance to buy Esso for €75 million.

Now he sells it for €450 million,,

That IBRC bank thing, seems to have been set up to act as a cash cow for Dinny, what with low interest loans, and all the other stuff that went on, Siteserv and others..

If FG get another term, they can give him even more stuff, and get him over the €10 Billion mark, it has after all been their main goal..

NER A PENNY PAID IN TAX,,, Joan said it was OK, if they gave the pensioners €3 euro..

Grab All Association

satguy wrote: »

His buddies in FG gave him Topaz for €150 million,, then Topaz somehow got competition clearance to buy Esso for €75 million.

Now he sells it for €450 million,,

That IBRC bank thing, seems to have been set up to act as a cash cow for Dinny, what with low interest loans, and all the other stuff that went on, Siteserv and others..

If FG get another term, they can give him even more stuff, and get him over the €10 Billion mark, it has after all been their main goal..

NER A PENNY PAIN IN TAX,,, Joan said it was OK, if they gave the pensioners €3 euro..

His hospital will no doubt win some lucrative contracts from the HSE

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/health-chiefs-consider-private-hospitals-to-tackle-trolley-crisis-1.2507312

Elemonator

WWN has given me some solid laughs over the past while. Hope nothing comes out of this.
I'd say nothing will in my own opinion (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) but if this went to court it would probably be laughed out. It's a well known satire website and therefore I wouldn't count it as defamation.

satguy

It's pure BACKBONE,, Month after month FG give him something, and still stand tall with head up...

But it just goes to show how SPINELESS Labour is, to sit at that cabinet table, Month after month, and never speak up..

Now even more, we need Waterford Whispers to have our backs, and to speak out, no gags allowed..

Tony EH

I wonder will they be so quiet when they're opposition next year.

KomradeBishop

It's like the US though - whoever gets in power, will have the same oligarchial hands filling their pockets in one way or another - it doesn't matter what party gets in, so long as enough people in the party are corruptible.

FF/FG/SF/Labour/etc. - it doesn't matter what combination there is, you can't bank on any of them not being corrupt on some level (and if SF get anywhere, don't expect them to be any different - even though it's impossible to prove ties there, all you have to remember is how much IRA funding came from crime and dodgy business setups - they can not be counted as clean, imo they're just waiting for their turn at the trough, and will say anything to get there).

I think that what matters now is less who is in power, and more how the public comes to bear pressure on those actually in power now - but there is still too much apathy over issues like this, for the public to really give a toss about it - it's not going to change until the publics attitude to it all, goes through a massive change.