BUSINESSMAN SEAN QUINN says he has no desire to take back his former companies following the attack on Kevin Lunney.
Lunney, a director of building products manufacturer Quinn Industrial Holdings, was kidnapped and badly beaten in September after being abducted from outside his home in Co Fermanagh.
He received knife wounds to his face and neck, and had one of his legs broken in two places in a sustained attack before being dumped a roadside across the border in Cornafean, Co Cavan.
Quinn, who was once Ireland’s richest man, formerly owned the companies now known as Quinn Industrial Holdings.
His empire collapsed in 2012 and he lost control of his portfolio of businesses. He was later employed as a consultant at his former companies, but left that role in 2016.
The attack, during which Lunney was reportedly tortured, was the latest in a series targeting Quinn Industrial Holdings and its directors.
There have been around 70 incidents throughout a five-year campaign of violence and intimidation directed at the management that has been running QIH since the fall of Quinn.
A sinister element in the community in the Fermanagh/Cavan border area continues to vent anger at the demise of Quinn’s empire. Paramilitary involvement is suspected.
The Quinn family has consistently condemned and distanced itself from those attacking the new owners.
Quinn, who originally founded the business, has publicly condemned the attack on Lunney, attacks against QIH employees and property.
In an interview with Channel 4 news, Quinn says the attack on Lunney means he no longer wants to take back control of his former businesses.
“I’m telling you a month ago, I still had ambitions to go back into those office and sort out the Quinn Group. Not today,” he said.
When asked why he has changed his position, he said: “Kevin Lunney.”
“People can say whatever they want about me but I don’t want to be seen as being the beneficiary of abuse of criminal activity,” he said.
Quinn said he had no part in commissioning, or sanctioning the abduction and torture of Lunney.
I’d have no hand, act or part or no knowledge or no gain; I’d have no benefit of doing anything to Kevin Lunney. Kevin Lunney and I were good friends for years.
Quinn said people in his local community are angry about how he claims he was treated by QIH executives.
He added: “The locals are also very angry about that they’ve done to me: throwing me out the gate, giving me nothing, sacking me. They’re very, very angry.”
Quinn said the attacks being carried out on Quinn executives are not being carried out in his name.
He said: “I’d think somebody with a high IQ would know that Sean Quinn is not a real fool. And that he would know that if something would have happened to Kevin Lunney, that people would be looking in his direction.
“Wouldn’t I know that? So, unless they consider me a real idiot, there’s no way that I could allow that to be done in my name.”
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