HARCOURT Developments is being sued in Ireland because another developer claims it owns half the rights to develop the Esplanade.

The details of the action before the Commercial Court, obtained by the JEP, show that Harcourt is being taken to the Dublin High Court next month by three Irish businessmen over a dispute believed to centre on the Esplanade Quarter but which also includes the Waterfront and Liberation Square.

The news will come as another blow to the States, which is already in disarray following the recent revelations about Harcourt and a similar lawsuit in Las Vegas over the $800 million Sullivan Square project.

It is understood that the directors of the company have called for an emergency meeting with the Council of Ministers on Monday in an attempt to reassure them about their intentions.

In the Irish case, the three businessmen are suing Harcourt Developments and director Pat Doherty in a dispute over an alleged partnership said to involve the Jersey Waterfront development company, Island Developments.

It has been reported that property developers Peter Crean and Andrew Kenny, along with solicitor Ivor Fitzpatrick, claim that Harcourt Developments Ltd and Mr Doherty are excluding them from the affairs of the partnership.

It has emerged that the commercial action against Harcourt in Dublin, which relates to property deals in Jersey and London, has been set for an initial hearing next month and then an eight-week trial this October.

The case is also said to relate to the development of the Chelsea Harbour hotel in London.
Harcourt are vigorously defending the action against them and deny the existence of the partnership and the alleged breakdown in trust between the parties.

Last week in the States, questions were asked about both the Dublin and Nevada lawsuits.
Harcourt director Pat Power released a statement afterwards saying: ‘Harcourt Developments Ltd confirms that all of the companies involved in the Liberty Wharf and Esplanade Quarter projects are its wholly owned subsidiaries and that these projects are 100 per cent financed by Harcourt.

‘Certain parties are claiming a partial interest in the share capital of these companies and this claim is being stoutly resisted by Harcourt in the commercial court in Dublin.’

The three businessmen involved in the case have been unavailable to comment but it is understood that they are claiming that they own 50 per cent of the Harcourt/Island company sites.

Yesterday Deputy Sean Power sent an e-mail addressed to Deputy Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur, Chief Minister Frank Walker and Economic Development Minister Philip Ozouf saying: ‘I have written to Philip advising that Carey Olsen and specifically Alex Olsen contact me. One of the reasons for this is that the litigation in Dublin between P Crean and others against Harcourt is a dispute about the ownership or rights to parts of the Jersey Waterfront,
Liberation Square and the Esplanade Quarter.’

Deputy Power goes on to say that he believes that the Dublin litigation is far more serious than the American litigation against Harcourt. He says he believes Harcourt director Pat Doherty has signed an affidavit stating that P Crean and others do own 50 per cent of the Harcourt/Island companies and the sites.

‘I honestly think WEB are completely out of their depth,’ he said.

Speaking from Bermuda, where he is on holiday, Senator Frank Walker said: ‘I think the Dublin dispute has been widely known for some considerable time. I did the right thing by notifying the debate before any vote was taken.
‘I have given the States every piece of information I possibly could.

As far as I am concerned I told the States during the debate that there was a dispute in Dublin. I know it is being vigorously defended. I gave the States all the information I had available.’