Property company Harlequin has settled its libel action against accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, its former employee Jeremy Newman and the firm’s current partner Martin McDonald.
The two accountants were at the heart of a previous fraud case in Ireland in which Harlequin won more than US$2m in damages from a former contractor.
But in this separate case, the action arose from a website which alleged that the business operated by Harlequin was a fraudulent ‘Ponzi’ scheme.
The company issued a joint statement with McDonald and Newman today, which said that Newman took responsibility for setting up and running the website.
“Newman has admitted that he set up and operated the website and regrets his actions in doing so. He did not intend to suggest, and has not asserted in these proceedings, that the business operated by Harlequin was in fact a fraudulent scheme,” the statement read.
Newman also apologised for the offence and upset caused to the Ames family, who own Harlequin.
The offending website has since been closed down and will not be reopened.
McDonald and Wilkins Kennedy deny any involvement in setting up, approving or authorising the website or its content and neither asserted during the proceedings that the allegations were true.
As previously reported, Wilkins Kennedy is the subject of a professional negligence claim from Harlequin, the case of which is due to start in the near future.
On a separate matter, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Essex Police are continuing to look into complaints made against the Harlequin group of companies, but said they were unable to comment on the investigation.